Jake Paul has finally chosen to put his self-promotion to the test. After a run of victories over former MMA stars and aging opponents, ‘The Problem Child’ has now been pushed toward the biggest challenge of his career. His planned exhibition with Gervonta Davis collapsed after ‘Tank’ was sued by his ex-girlfriend, prompting MVP to cancel the bout. In the aftermath, Paul secured a far more dangerous opponent—Anthony Joshua.

The two are set to clash on Friday, December 19, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, live on Netflix. Unlike the Gervonta Davis exhibition, this will be a fully sanctioned heavyweight bout. It’s a serious leap in competition considering Joshua is a former unified heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. With stakes this high, Paul will need every bit of support he can get. Luckily for him, a prayer came in from the grandson of the legendary Muhammad Ali.

Jake Paul has Nico Ali Walsh praying for him

Earlier today on his Instagram story, Nico Ali Walsh shared a blackout image with the text, “Pray for Paul🙏🏻,” adding, “Seriously.” Walsh can pray all he wants for Jake Paul, but the stark reality of this matchup doesn’t look promising for ‘The Problem Child.’ The fight will be contested over eight three-minute rounds, with both men wearing 10-oz gloves. Joshua must weigh in under 245 lbs to make the bout official.

The Watford powerhouse typically enters the ring between 240–255 lbs, so the limit shouldn’t pose an issue, though he has weighed over 250 lbs in each of his last three bouts. Meanwhile, Paul’s most recent heavyweight appearance against Mike Tyson saw him come in at 227.5 lbs. Still, the matchup draws comparisons to the time Anthony Joshua faced Francis Ngannou.

The former UFC heavyweight champion gave Tyson Fury all he could handle, even dropping him, but once he stood across from Anthony Joshua, the night was short-lived. Joshua floored Ngannou in the first round and ended both the fight and Ngannou’s boxing run in the second. Paul could be headed toward a similar fate when he meets Joshua next month. That said, it would be unfair to ignore that Joshua has slowed down in recent years. 

The former unified heavyweight champion is coming off a shocking fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois late last year—a fight he was widely expected to win. Still, on paper, Paul doesn’t stand much of a chance, just ask David Benavidez.

David Benavidez predicts ‘El Gallo’ Paul vs. Anthony Joshua

David Benavidez isn’t shy about where he stands on the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua showdown. Speaking to Fight Hub TV, the former super middleweight champion said, “I give 100% respect to Jake Paul, but that’s a dangerous fight for him. He probably gets knocked out.” Benavidez stressed that his stance isn’t rooted in disrespect—just realism. 

“I’m not trying to be a hater, I’m not saying nothing bad, but Anthony Joshua is Anthony Joshua. He’s a multiple-time champion, an Olympic gold medalist,” he added, pointing out the gulf in experience and pedigree. “The last time somebody stepped in the ring with him that didn’t have that much boxing experience was in Ngannou, and you’ve seen what happened to him,” he noted.

Despite expecting a one-sided outcome, Benavidez still believes the event will deliver entertainment. “It’s going to be a good card, it’s a big fight. It’s a good fight, man,” he said.

That said, Jake Paul appears to be winning hearts after he decided to fight Anthony Joshua. Even though people don’t think he will win, it’s a step in the right direction. What do you think about the fight?