According to Jake Paul, he intends to finally square off against the caliber of opponent his detractors have demanded. This is set to happen next year.
Paul secured another victory on his boxing record this past Saturday, winning a unanimous decision against former WBC middleweight titleholder Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in their cruiserweight bout held in Anaheim, California. Paul, noticeably larger than the 39-year-old Chavez, delivered another performance that many found unimpressive, feeding into the ongoing criticism that he selectively chooses opponents who are smaller or past their prime. However, Paul views this victory as a crucial juncture in his career, marking a pivot towards pursuing boxing with greater seriousness.
During his post-fight press conference, Paul contrasted his recent performance with his earlier loss to Tommy Fury, saying:
“I don’t even think I was a fighter then… That was two years, two-and-a-half years into the sport, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have the proper team around me, the proper conditioning. My lifestyle outside of the ring was still like a YouTube, celebrity, actor, whatever I was at the time. I wasn’t fully focused on boxing.”
He feels the Chavez fight signals a new phase:
“This feels like chapter one is done tonight, now we’re moving on to chapter two and I’m just getting warmed up in this sport. People hold the Tommy Fury thing against me, but what now? I just beat a former world champion, and I’m coming to avenge that loss, as well, with Tommy.”
Paul`s split decision defeat to Fury in 2023 intensified claims that he isn`t a legitimate boxer, despite his own portrayal. Since that time, the former YouTube personality has secured six consecutive wins, although the caliber of his opponents has done little to silence critics. Prior to facing Chavez, Paul had an eight-round bout scheduled with the 58-year-old Mike Tyson last November. With his stated transition towards a more serious boxing trajectory, Paul is now focused on a more fitting opponent in terms of age and status: former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Nakisa Bidarian, Paul`s business associate, commented on the potential future opponents, stating:
“That’s the main one that we’ve talked a lot about… If it’s not for the title, it’s looking at Tommy, if he’s reasonable, and then Anthony Joshua. And he’s adamant that he wants to make that fight happen at the end of 2026.”
Bidarian also mentioned plans to meet with Matchroom while in New York.
At 35 years old, Anthony Joshua is a former unified heavyweight titleholder widely considered one of the most formidable punchers of his era. In March 2024, Joshua delivered a brutal knockout against Francis Ngannou, though he was later stopped by Daniel Dubois in September of the same year during their IBF heavyweight championship bout. For Jake Paul, facing Joshua would signify a significant step up in competitive level, a challenge “The Problem Child” claims he is prepared to meet.
Despite not being a heavyweight, Paul stated:
“I’m definitely not a heavyweight but I’m still going to take the challenge… You look at Deontay Wilder, he was beating these guys weighing 215 pounds. Granted, he’s 6-foot-6 or something, but anything is possible. I like the challenge.”
He directly addressed his critics, adding:
“That’s the criticism. ‘Fight someone in their prime who is a beast!’ I think people just want to see me lose. That’s really the message behind it all. Anthony Joshua is an insane fight, but I want that challenge. We’ve been DMing back and forth, he wants to make it happen, he called me up, and it’s looking very likely for next year.”
