Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul? No guarantee British Boxing Board of Control would sanction bout | Boxing News

There is no guarantee the British Boxing Board of Control would sanction Anthony Joshua versus Jake Paul as a professional contest.

Joshua is a London 2012 Olympic gold medallist and a former two-time unified heavyweight world champion.

His last fight was a world title clash with Daniel Dubois, which Joshua lost inside five rounds.

Paul made his name on YouTube but has had an impact on boxing. He has promoted major events and has a 12-1 professional career.

Paul though has only boxed once at heavyweight, and that was against a 58-year-old, long-retired Mike Tyson. He lost to Tommy Fury at 185lbs in 2023 and while he has beaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, a former world champion, Chavez Jr’s title reign ended in 2012 and was down at middleweight.

As well as their wildly different experience levels in professional boxing, Joshua is 6ft 6in and hasn’t weighed less than 250lbs since 2022. Paul is 6ft 1in and has only tipped the scales above 200lbs for one of his bouts.

However, their representatives have held discussions for a match-up, which even Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has called “bizarre”.

There is though no guarantee that Joshua vs Paul would be licensed in the UK as a professional fight. The event organisers would have to apply to the British Boxing Board of Control to consider it.

Hearn told Sky Sports: “I would think the fight would most likely take place in the US anyway to be honest.”

Paul’s contentious but high-profile bout with Tyson was sanctioned in Texas, albeit over eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves.

Joshua has previously taken part in a crossover bout in Riyadh, when he levelled heavyweight MMA star Francis Ngannou in just two rounds. But Ngannou was not only a UFC champion, he came into the fight with Joshua after impressing in a split-decision defeat to Tyson Fury over 10 rounds.

Joshua does have other potential options. France’s Tony Yoka, who succeeded Joshua as Olympic champion in 2016, has signed with British promoters Queensberry.

But Hearn told Sky Sports: “We have not had any negotiations with Yoka.”

Joshua’s most appealing fight would be against long-time rival Tyson Fury, who has previously mooted a potential comeback in 2026. But most recently Fury told Sky Sports he would stay retired, insisting: “Too old, look at my beard, all grey. Boxing is a young man’s game.”

Nelson: I don’t think Paul fight will happen!

Sky Sports’ Johnny Nelson said: “I think Jake Paul is a brilliant promoter. He’s brilliant at getting the attention of the public.

“I don’t see this fight happening but what I do see is people are now talking about Jake Paul in the same sentence as Anthony Joshua. If by some miracle this fight does happen, that tells me Anthony Joshua has decided to cash out, because it will be a handsome and unbelievable payday for what should be a walk in the park for him.

“But then it’s a case of, well, what are you in this game for? You want to make money, that’s right, you want to be the best, be world champion again, I get it.

“So he’s thinking, ‘shall I have a little bit of a play and get some big money – I don’t know, a couple of hundred million – to fight Jake Paul, and then step into the big, real world of boxing?’

“Or should he make this his bow out? If this fight, by some miracle, did happen, to me, it would be Anthony Joshua saying goodbye to our sport and walking out with a massive pay check.

“I don’t think the fight will happen – that’s just my opinion.”

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