A potential showdown between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua has been teased for months. Early on, both camps appeared open to the idea, with even His Excellency Turki Alalshikh expressing interest in making the fight a reality. Despite some hesitation, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, was willing to slot Paul in as a high-profile detour before Joshua shifted focus to a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury next year. However, momentum quickly stalled.

A couple of days ago, the Matchroom Boxing head appeared in an interview with Boxing Social, where he revealed the reality of the Joshua vs. Paul fight. “Jake Paul wants $40 million to fight Anthony Joshua. It’s not happening,” Hearn said bluntly. Hearn went as far as to say that ‘El Gallo’ wasn’t serious about facing Joshua, adding, “I don’t trust that he would take the fight. I think Francis Ngannou would destroy him, let alone AJ.” This was apparently a lie. 

Earlier today, Jake Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, took to X to address several false claims circulating about Paul and their company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP). “My favorite boxing fabrications of the past month,” Bidarian began. “Jake Paul wants $40M to fight Anthony Joshua.” However, according to Bidarian, that wasn’t the end of the misinformation being spread about MVP.

He further added, “Claressa Shields ‘team’ saying they have tried to make the Shadasia Green fight for the past few years (asking MVP to  pay you to make the fight is not you trying to make a fight).” Bidarian also roped in former world champion Adrien Broner, who recently called out Jake Paul for a fight. “[Adrien] Broner and anything to do with MVP at all,” Bidarian wrote. Finally, Paul’s business partner denied any connection between MVP and veteran promoter Don King. 

“Don King claiming he has any contact with MVP or Jake Paul whatsoever,” he wrote. Nevertheless, even though the fight doesn’t seem to be heading in the right direction anymore, Joshua’s rival, Tyson Fury, has shared his prediction. 

Tyson Fury claims Jake Paul knocks out Anthony Joshua

With talk of a fight between Joshua and Paul, Tyson Fury has made an unusual prediction for the fight. While most dismiss Paul’s ambition as delusional, Fury sees things differently. “I think Jake Paul knocks him out,” Fury told The Ring. “I just think Jake Paul would knock AJ out.” Paul, of course, is coming off a unanimous decision win over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. 

Before that, Paul defeated a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November. Despite criticism over Paul’s choice of opponents, Fury believes Paul’s form is rising—especially when compared to Joshua’s recent setbacks. Last year, Joshua suffered a brutal fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. 

For Fury, that defeat signaled a turning point. “I think AJ is a spent force,” he added, “and I think Jake Paul is on the rise.”

It appears that despite Jake Paul receiving support from Tyson Fury to defeat Anthony Joshua, the fight may never materialize. With conflicting claims emerging from both camps, the situation seems to have gone awry. Still, if the fight had taken place, who do you think would’ve come out on top?