A few months ago, Jake Paul appeared on his podcast BS w/ Jake Paul and boldly called out Anthony Joshua, claiming he could knock out the former unified heavyweight champion. What initially seemed like a publicity stunt has since evolved into a surprisingly serious conversation. Following his recent win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Paul reignited the callout, making it clear he’s determined to face the British heavyweight star. Now, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has entered the picture and how!

The GEA Chairman expressed interest in staging the bout recently—suggesting it’s time to settle the Jake Paul chatter once and for all. On Joshua’s end, his promoter Eddie Hearn has hinted that discussions about the potential fight are indeed moving forward. And amid this, the voice from the boxing world has broken the silence—John Fury, father of Joshua’s long-time rival Tyson Fury, has issued a stern warning to Joshua.

“Anthony, listen to me,” John Fury said in an interview with iFL TV while speaking about the Joshua-Paul fight. “Don’t take a dive with this Jake Paul, mate. Do not do that. Not for a billion dollars.” It’s worth noting that most of Paul’s fights in the past have faced baseless allegations of being staged, including the Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fights. Interestingly, Piers Morgan had alleged that Paul stages rigged fights, and Paul threatened him with a lawsuit. 

Regardless, John Fury continued, “Don’t do as the others have done. Do not take dives.” Fury urged Joshua, “If he fights you, knock him dead as a knit and good luck with it.” It’s also worth mentioning that Tyson Fury had previously wagered £1million on Jake Paul knocking out Anthony Joshua. When John Fury was asked about his son’s bet, it didn’t seem to faze Fury Sr. “Anthony Joshua could knock Jake Paul out with his d–k,” he said. 

And in case that doesn’t happen, John Fury told the reporter, “If it goes any other way, you know it’s f–king fixed, don’t you?” Fixed or not, this British promoter can’t emphasize enough the scale of the fight if it happens.

Leaving Tyson Fury for 2026, Frank Warren predicts Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul

Before Jake Paul came into the conversation, the British public was rallying behind the long-awaited fight between Joshua and Fury. Though a fight between them came close to happening, it never actually materialized. Regardless, the fight can not happen next for a couple of reasons. First, Fury is busy until next year with his Netflix show ‘At Home With the Furys.’ And second, when he does come back to boxing, as he has revealed, Fury wants a trilogy with Oleksandr Usyk first. 

So, the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight makes a lot of sense, acting as a tune-up for Joshua. And Fury’s promoter Frank Warren is happy about it. While appearing in an interview with Sky Sports, he shared his prediction for the potential bout, stating, “I’ve got to go with AJ because of the fact he’s been a professional boxer for so long. He’s a naturally big man.” Despite his backing for Joshua, Warren acknowledged, “[Jake]’s got a bit of heart in him, that’s for sure.” 

“He maybe sees something in… [AJ’s fight] against Daniel, where Daniel done a job on him,” Warren continued, later emphasizing the scale of such a bout. “If it happens… I’ll tell you, you won’t be able to get a ticket for that.”

Experts remain divided on the possibility of a fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul. While opinions vary, one thing is clear—only time will reveal whether the bout actually materializes. For now, though, momentum appears to be building in the right direction. What’s your take on this potential showdown?