So after having to back track the Gervonta “Tank” Davis exhibition, due to negative backlash surrounding Davis’ legal problems stemming from a DV case with his child’s mother. Needless to say that as a champion for women’s boxing, this was a bad look.  

Fast forward a bit and we arrive on Anthony Joshua.  Joshua vs. Paul is set for December 19th in Miami. This heavyweight bout, streamlined live on Netflix to its 300 million subscribers, promises  a record-breaking payday (rumored at $100 million for Joshua alone).

The only issue is it is a Jake Paul fight.  From a fans perspective it’s a match that elevates spectacle over substance, where a former world champion risks his legacy for a quick cash grab against a YouTube provocateur whose ring resume reads like a highlight reel of mismatched mismatches.

Let’s dispense with the hype: this isn’t David versus Goliath; it’s Goliath versus a well-funded amateur hour. Anthony Joshua, the 36-year-old British titan standing 6-foot-6 and tipping the scales at over 250 pounds, enters with a pedigree forged in the fires of true heavyweight warfare. A two-time unified champion, he’s shared the canvas with legends like Wladimir Klitschko, and even MMA crossover beast Francis Ngannou, whom he dispatched in two brutal rounds last year. 

Joshua’s last outing, a fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, exposed vulnerabilities, dropping him to 28-4 with 25 KOs.

Enter Jake Paul, the 28-year-old “Problem Child,” whose 12-1 record (7 KOs) is a testament to savvy matchmaking rather than pugilistic prowess. His victories? A parade of retired MMA fighters, washed-up journeymen, and, most infamously, a points win over a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in an exhibition that drew 108 million viewers but zero respect from purists.

Paul’s sole loss came to Tommy Fury in 2023, a decision that exposed his limitations against even middling boxing opposition. Now, fresh off a June decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., he’s leaping straight into the heavyweight deep end. The size disparity alone is comical: Paul, a natural cruiserweight at 200 pounds, faces a foe 50 pounds heavier and almost a foot taller.

Eddie Hearn framed this as a “low-key” tune-up for Joshua, a bridge to bigger 2026 showdowns with the likes of Tyson Fury, but let’s call it what it is: a money move. 

Joshua’s camp eyes the Netflix windfall as a buffer against ring rust, potentially netting Joshua his career-high purse. Paul, ever the marketer, sees validation, a chance to scream “I told you so” after predicting eight months ago he’d “beat Joshua’s a–.” 

This isn’t exhibition fluff; it’s a professional sanctioned heavyweight bout etched into the record books. Tommy Fury said, 

Joshua, once the face of British boxing’s resurgence, now risks tainting that shine. As fans on X lamented, “AJ will wreck his legacy with this demeaning fight,” and “if Joshua doesn’t embarrass Paul, boxing is dead.” They’re right. This matchup doesn’t elevate Paul to contender status; it diminishes Joshua to gatekeeper.

Don’t misunderstand: I’ll tune in. Netflix’s global reach could introduce a new generation to boxing’s drama, much like Tyson’s bout did last year.

But as the bell tolls on December 19, let’s hope Joshua delivers the emphatic KO Hearn demands—”smoke him in three rounds,” as he put it—to reaffirm that size, skill, and savagery still matter more than social media savvy.

Anything less, and we’re not watching a fight; we’re witnessing boxing’s surrender to the algorithm. The sweet science deserves better than this bitter pill.

By Vincent