Anthony Joshua is facing a wave of criticism following the revelation that the British boxing sensation is in discussions for a contentious match against Jake Paul.

The boxing community was taken aback on Wednesday evening with the news that Joshua, a former heavyweight champion at 34, is contemplating a bout with 28-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul in Miami.

After suffering a crushing defeat to Daniel Dubois last September, Joshua has been out of the ring for over a year. Now, he is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations with Paul for a fight slated for either December 12 or 19.

On Tuesday, Hearn remarked, “We will make a decision this week on Anthony’s next match. If he fights this year, you probably won’t even hear about it, unless it’s Jake Paul.”

“We would literally show up during fight week. We have already been in talks with potential opponents for a warm-up fight,” added the head of Matchroom Boxing.

Derek Chisora has insisted Anthony Joshua must ‘kill’ Jake Paul inside two rounds if he fights him

Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are finalizing negotiations for a heavyweight boxing fight 

Wednesday’s development has led to huge outcry from the boxing community over the state the sport finds itself in. Should AJ accept a fight with Paul, it threatens to undo his legacy as a two-time heavyweight champion. 

Veteran heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora says that nothing less than a devastating performance from Joshua will appease the fans. 

‘AJ took a year out, easy fight for him and I think it should be laid to rest because I don’t think AJ’s going to go in there and try and pat [him]. AJ is going to smoke him,’ he told iFL TV. 

‘I will say this about AJ: don’t let that guy [Paul] knock you out, because that will be f***ing nightmares forever, but AJ has to kill him in three rounds. 

‘[If it goes beyond three rounds] it doesn’t mean I back Jake Paul [to win], it means what is AJ doing? He has to smoke him in three rounds, the same way he did with Ngannou. 

‘How many rounds was Ngannou? Two? Exactly, so he has to smoke him in two rounds.’ 

Meanwhile, fans and pundits have said that a fight with Paul will undermine AJ’s impressive resume – which includes wins over Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Dillian Whyte.

‘Anthony Joshua will wreck his legacy with demeaning Jake Paul fight,’ said one fan on X. 

Joshua will fight for the first time since his defeat to Daniel Dubois in what is viewed as a tune up fight

Another said: ‘Always been a big Joshua fan, saw his semi-final at London 2012. Hugely overcriticised throughout his career. But even if this lasts 10 seconds, it tarnishes his legacy.’ 

Boxing expert Gareth A Davies said: ‘It really damages his legacy as a two-time heavyweight champion of the world if he’s truly taking another run at big fights.’

Hearn’s comments have led fans to believe that any bout between the two would in-fact be deemed an exhibition – similarly to how Paul’s bout with Gervonta Davis was planned. 

Further details are yet to be announced but fans will certainly be intrigued to discover the weight restrictions that will be in place, given the size difference between the two.

In Paul’s most recent bout against Julio Chavez Jr, he weighed in at 199.4lbs. Meanwhile, in Joshua’s last fight against Daniel Dubois, he weighed in at 252lbs 5oz. 

However, in Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson last year, he managed to bulk up an immense amount and weighed in at 220lbs, which he will likely have to do again. 

Though the bout will bring initial shock to boxing fans, some sense can be made in the fact that both fighters have found themselves at a crossroads in 2025.

After defeating boxing legend Tyson, 59, in November last year, Paul returned to the ring in the summer, where he defeated Chavez Jr via unanimous decision.

However, since that victory, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has been on the search for a more credible opponent and had WBA lightweight champion Davis in his sights. 

After months of preparations and smack-talking between the two Americans, the bout was cancelled last week due to the domestic violence allegations looming over Davis.

Breaking his silence over the matter last week, Paul said: ‘If you support this man you support the most vile sin a man can commit. My company champions women.   

‘I’m so sorry to everyone involved. Mostly to the undercard fighters, to my team at MVP and to my team who worked so hard prepping for this fight. 

‘Sacrificing time with loved ones and kids just for this fool to lose his unintelligent mind again,’ the influencer-turned-boxer said.

In the days that have followed, Paul went on a social media tirade, calling out some of boxing’s biggest names – including one of Joshua’s old foes; Francis Ngannou. 

Paul and former UFC star Ngannou traded words over social media before conducting an interview with TMZ that entirely shut down talks of a fight. 

Joshua, meanwhile, will be looking to shake off 13 months of ring-rust when he takes on Paul, having not fought since his defeat to British rival Daniel Dubois last year. 

The Watford fighter was brutally knocked in the fifth round of their bout, which derailed hopes of him mounting a charge for the heavyweight titles. 

YouTube novice has forged a career from fighting retired boxing and MMA athletes 

Despite a four-fight win-streak prior to that, his back-to-back defeats by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022 left Joshua in a predicament going forward. 

Just recently, former star Carl Froch spoke with the Daily Mail’s Charlotte Daly about the ‘downfall’ of Joshua and attempted to pinpoint where it all began. 

‘People may think this is a controversial take but I think AJ’s downfall started when he split up from Rob McCracken,’ Froch said when we sat down for an hour-long chat on ClubHouse Boxing’s new show.

‘Rob guided him from amateur nobody to Olympic champion and then to world honours. But AJ didn’t listen. He left him. 

‘That was the worst decision he could have made. Now he’s mentally distraught, physically getting old, completely lost. I honestly don’t think there is a way back. I think he’s done and he knows it.’

‘AJ could have fallen out of love with boxing, it’s possible,’ Froch says. ‘He didn’t want to do the running, he didn’t want to spar, he didn’t want to train [towards the end of his stint with McCracken]. You hear all of this stuff coming out from the gym rats and through the grapevine and you just know it’s the beginning of the end.’