In a seismic shift for the heavyweight division, reports are flooding in that former two-time unified world champion Anthony Joshua (28-5, 25 KOs) has agreed to square off against YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) in a sanctioned, professional heavyweight bout set for December 19, 2025, at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
The fight, which will be broadcast live on Netflix, marks a dramatic pivot for both men and has left the boxing world reeling from the sheer audacity of the matchup.
The genesis of this clash traces back to August 2025, when Jake Paul’s scheduled exhibition bout with lightweight kingpin Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) was announced as a Netflix blockbuster.
However, that fight fell apart amid disputes over weight classes—Paul, who last competed at cruiserweight around 200 pounds, was mismatched against the 135-pound Davis under exhibition rules. Paul publicly blasted Davis as a “walking human piece of garbage” on X, apologizing to affected undercard fighters and staff.
With his November 15 slate suddenly open, Paul’s camp accelerated talks for a true step-up opponent. Enter Anthony Joshua, the 36-year-old British powerhouse who hasn’t laced up the gloves since a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) in September 2024 at Wembley Stadium.
That defeat derailed Joshua’s immediate title aspirations and prompted a period of reflection, with promoter Eddie Hearn (Matchroom Boxing) teasing a potential “low-key tune-up” before any blockbuster return.
Initial negotiations for Joshua-Paul reportedly collapsed in August over broadcasting rights—Paul’s preference for Netflix clashed with Joshua’s DAZN ties.
But with Davis out and Netflix still hungry for a headliner, the deal reignited. On November 12, ESPN’s Michael Coppinger dropped the bombshell on X: “Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are finalizing a deal for a heavyweight fight on Netflix in December in Miami.” By November 13, Coppinger updated that it was a “done deal” for December 19, emphasizing this is no exhibition but a full-fledged professional contest under Queensberry Promotion rules (standard 12 rounds, three-minute rounds, 10-ounce gloves), counting toward both fighters’ official records.
The venue, Miami’s Kaseya Center (capacity ~19,000), was chosen for its electric atmosphere and Paul’s growing U.S. fanbase. Netflix, fresh off streaming Paul’s controversial win over 58-year-old Mike Tyson in 2024, sees this as a ratings juggernaut—blending Joshua’s elite pedigree with Paul’s 40 million-plus social media followers.
For Joshua, this is a high-wire act. The Olympic gold medalist and ex-IBF, WBA, and WBO titlist boasts a resume stacked with wins over legends like Wladimir Klitschko (2015 unification), Joseph Parker (2018), and Dillian Whyte (2015).
But recent setbacks—a 2019 loss to Andy Ruiz Jr., a 2021 points defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, and the 2024 Dubois KO—have fueled questions about his chin and motivation.
Hearn has long eyed a “British superfight” with Tyson Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) as Joshua’s redemption arc, but insists any 2025 return needs a warm-up. “If he fights this year, you probably won’t even hear about it—unless it’s Jake Paul,” Hearn quipped earlier this week, before walking back the hype on November 13: “Possibly. Everyone jumped the gun last night.”
For Paul, it’s the ultimate legitimacy test. The 28-year-old “Problem Child” has feasted on ex-UFC stars (six wins, including KOs of Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva) but drew fire for his 2023 split-decision loss to Tommy Fury and the Tyson mismatch.
The Daily Mail reports a staggering £140 million ($185 million USD) purse, split evenly at £70 million ($92 million) per fighter—dwarfing Joshua’s £50 million Dubois payday and Paul’s £40 million Tyson haul.