MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 21: Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face off during a press conference for Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua at Kaseya Center on November 21, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images for Netflix)
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It’s really going to happen.
Jake Paul is taking a major step up to take on former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday, December 19 in Miami on Netflix. I had a chance to sit down with Joshua’s promoter and head of Matchroom Boxing Eddie Hearn recently.
Among other topics, we discussed the seemingly unlikely, but highly intriguing battle between Joshua and the influencer-turned-mega-boxing draw, Paul. Hearn didn’t hold back and according to him, neither will Joshua once the fight takes place.
Even with the fight official and the two sides meeting for a press conference in Miami on Friday, November 21, there’s still questions about the upcoming bout.
I asked Hearn directly, what will the rules set be for this fight?
Joshua vs. Paul Will Be Professional Boxing, No Gimmicks, Says Eddie Hearn
Promoter Eddie Hearn during a press conference at The Leadenhall Building, London. Whittaker will headline against Benjamin Gavazi in Birmingham on his promotional debut on November 29th. Picture date: Friday October 17, 2025. (Photo by Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)
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After being asked about the specific rules for the bout, Hearn made it clear this won’t be an exhibition. “Same as any professional fight, you know, and we wouldn’t do anything different, which is eight rounds, 10 ounce gloves, eight three minute rounds,” Hearn said. “The weight is 245 pounds, but that’s just because Jake’s coming up from cruiserweight.”
Hearn emphasized that Joshua’s team had no interest in anything other than legitimate professional boxing rules. “We would never be interested in exhibitions like big gloves, two minute rounds, but that’s not boxing,” he said. “You want to step up and fight AJ? This is how it’s going to be. So props to Jake Paul for that. They never asked for anything different. And we wouldn’t have accepted anything different.”
Eddie Hearn on Anthony Joshua Fighting Jake Paul: ‘No Holding Back’
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY 18: Eddie Hearn, Chairman of Matchroom Sport, and Anthony Joshua, professional English Heavyweight boxer, watch on from ringside at Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
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When asked if Joshua might approach the fight differently given Paul’s cruiserweight origins and limited experience, Hearn was emphatic. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You can’t, that’s a fight. You can’t hold back,” he said. “You train yourself to go in and destroy it. I mean, that’s what he does. And the sooner this is over, but we don’t like, you know, people saying, Oh, if this goes three, four, five, six, seven rounds, it’s a bit embarrassing for AJ.”
Hearn continued: “We ain’t playing around with our food in there. We’re going in to eat and to hunt. And as soon as he gets anywhere near him, as soon as he gets the opportunity, he’s unloading everything on his chin.”
Even with Joshua presumably needing to cut down to 245 pounds, the lowest he’s been in a pro fight since he weighed 244.5 pounds for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk back in August 2022, it still seems unlikely Paul could pull the upset. That said, the celebrity and obvious notoriety of both men makes this a must-see fight just before Christmas.
Be on the lookout for coverage and more from my sit down with Hearn in the coming days.