Jake Paul’s team drops bombshell update on $40M super fight with Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul’s quest to prove himself inside the boxing ring may be heading toward its boldest chapter yet. Following a controversial victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past June, the YouTube star-turned-boxer wasted no time stirring up the combat sports world again—this time by aiming even higher.

In a move that drew both mockery and curiosity, “The Problem Child” called out several current champions including Badou Jack, Zurdo Ramirez, and Gervonta Davis, igniting debate over whether he was serious or simply chasing headlines. But one name stood out for its sheer audacity: former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

“What did I miss?” Jake Paul quipped in a social media post after positive developments emerged regarding negotiations for the potential $40 million bout.

Is Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua actually possible?

Despite widespread skepticism, talks between Paul’s camp and Joshua’s team appear to be gaining traction. Surprisingly, it was Eddie Hearn—Joshua’s promoter and a longtime critic of Paul—who cracked the door open. In a recent interview, Hearn revealed he is “open to it happening,” signaling a dramatic shift in tone and hinting that the bad blood between the camps may be giving way to business.

Paul’s manager, Nakisa Bidarian, confirmed the momentum. “I think the fight can absolutely happen,” Bidarian told Sky Sports. “I’ve been looking at it as Jake vs. Joshua, which is quite biblical and quite impactful in many ways.”

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Bidarian went on to downplay concerns about the size difference between the two fighters. “Jake walks around between 208-210 pounds… he fought Mike Tyson at 228 pounds, so I think size-wise we can get comfortable with it,” he added. The comparison with Oleksandr Usyk, who twice beat Joshua at 220 pounds, was used to underscore that smaller heavyweights can indeed be competitive.

How seriously should fans take this matchup?

The concept of Jake Paul facing off with Anthony Joshua may still seem far-fetched, but it’s no longer laughable in industry circles. Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has even gone on record saying that a Paul vs. Joshua bout would be “closer than people think.” The fact that credible boxing figures are entertaining the idea shows just how far Jake Paul has come from his exhibition debut.

While many fans continue to voice concern over Paul’s safety in such a dangerous fight, the business side of boxing tells a different story. With a potential purse nearing $40 million and global fan intrigue, the matchup is quickly becoming less about if and more about when.