CONTRACT SHOCK: WHY ANTHONY JOSHUA MUST MAKE 245LBS FOR JAKE PAUL
Anthony Joshua is taking the Jake Paul fight seriously, working with Oleksandr Usyk's team to make the contractual 245lb weight limit for the Miami showdown.
Anthony Joshua is on schedule to make weight for his fight with Jake Paul and is taking the test very seriously.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter, gave this update after speaking with the British heavyweight before his strange yet huge fight with Paul on December 19 in Miami.
For the first time in his career, AJ must meet a specific weight limit, as a clause in the contract says he cannot weigh more than 245lbs on the day of the weigh-in.
He has teamed up with Oleksandr Usyk's team to stay motivated and in shape before the fight, where he is heavily favoured to win.
Hearn told talkSPORT Breakfast that Joshua is doing everything he can to prepare.
He said, He's good; he's really focused, as if he were fighting a top heavyweight.
He always takes everything seriously, and he is doing so for this. He's in great shape.
The difference in this fight is that he has to make a specific weight, which is much lighter than he would be for other fights.
But he's on track and in Miami with not much time left until the fight. I honestly can't believe what's about to happen.
He's ready to go and do a job on him, and I just can't believe we've signed the contract to fight him.
Hearn's thoughts on Paul vs. Joshua as a spectacle
The fight has received widespread criticism, mostly from boxing fans who can't believe it's happening.
But it will be a real fight added to AJ's record, as it has been approved by the Florida Athletic Commission.
Many have suggested that Paul's previous fights, including his heavyweight appearance against Mike Tyson, were 'scripted.'
Paul has denied these claims, and Hearn agrees, saying that Joshua's camp insists on a convincing victory.
He added, It's not going to be an easy night for Jake.
People keep asking me if there is a script. Of course, there isn't.
But yes, there is a script: we are going to go out in the first round and smash him to bits.
Joshua's training for the Jake Paul fight.
Joshua has changed his training environment, leaving the UK and his recent trainer, Ben Davison, who coached him for his last three fights.
After recovering from elbow surgery, the Briton went to Spain to link up with former opponent Usyk's team.
Although he isn't sparring with the Ukrainian, Joshua is living like the most recent undisputed heavyweight champion.
He is sure that this will give him the best chance to beat Paul and compete for a world title in 2026.
WHY DID OLEKSANDR USYK STOP WATCHING FURY VS MAKHMUDOV DURING THE SIXTH ROUND?
Oleksandr Usyk ignores Tyson Fury’s win to pray, while Anthony Joshua brands Fury a "clout-chaser" in a ringside row.
Oleksandr Usyk didn’t bother finishing Tyson Fury’s fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday. After six rounds, he switched off the TV and went to pray. He’s not thinking about fighting Fury again anytime soon either.
Fury stepped back into the ring after a year away, squaring up with Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The fight went the full twelve rounds, and Fury took home a unanimous decision win. It streamed live on Netflix, so fans everywhere got to watch.
But Usyk caught half the fight before leaving. He told the Mail, “I got a bunch of messages like, ‘Did you see my friend winning?’ I said, ‘Yeah, great,’ but honestly, I only watched the first six rounds. Then I left for church to pray. In rounds three and four, I got a little worried Makhmudov started landing, and I thought, ‘Come on, keep your hands up.’”
As for facing Fury for a third time, Usyk shot down the idea. After beating Fury twice in 2024, he’s ready to move on. “My plan’s the same. I’ve got three fights lined up, I know what I want. If Fury fits in, fine, but things are more complicated now.”
Back in May 2024, Fury put his WBC heavyweight belt on the line, dreaming of undisputed glory, while Usyk brought his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles. Usyk edged out Fury on a split decision. They ran it back in December, and it wasn’t as close Usyk dominated and hit a clean 23-0 record with another unanimous points victory.
Next, Usyk is set to face Rico Verhoeven, the Glory heavyweight kickboxing champ, on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza. Not your average boxing event.
Meanwhile, Fury wasted no time calling out Anthony Joshua, who was ringside for his win over Makhmudov. Fury wanted to make the fight happen right then and there, but Joshua didn’t commit. That annoyed fans in the stadium and at home.
Joshua’s response? He wasn’t impressed. “Tyson, you’re clout-chasing,” he shot back. “I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids, and after watching you tonight, I’ll do it again. You don’t tell me what to do.”
He doubled down. “I’ve been chasing you for ten years. When you’re ready, come see me. I’m the boss you work for me. I’m the landlord, remember that.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA REJECTS POST-FIGHT RING FACE-OFF DESPITE FURY’S DECISIVE WIN OVER MAKHMUDOV
Eddie Hearn explains Anthony Joshua’s ring snub. Is the Fury vs AJ fight actually signed for this autumn?
Eddie Hearn laid it out pretty clearly: Anthony Joshua stayed out of the ring Saturday night and didn’t square off with Tyson Fury, even though Fury and Turki Alalshikh were both pushing hard for that dramatic moment to sell their big all-British fight for later this year.
Tyson Fury came back for yet another post-retirement bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, picking up a decisive win over Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov. It wasn’t much of a contest, really. Fury dominated, collected a unanimous decision, and then instantly shifted his attention to Anthony Joshua sitting at ringside. At one point, Joshua even whipped out his phone to record the fight.
Naturally, Fury grabbed the mic and did what he does best: he hyped up the idea of fighting Joshua next, telling the crowd (and Joshua himself) that this was the battle fans have been waiting for. He even called AJ into the ring on the spot.
But Joshua didn’t bite. He stayed put, calmly telling the crowd he’s ready to fight Fury and has been chasing it for a decade. No drama. No face-off.
Later, Fury and his camp went public. They said their side had signed the contracts weeks ago and put the blame for the holdup squarely on Joshua.
“We brought him here tonight to make this fight a done deal,” Fury said. “I’ve already signed. No idea if he has.”
Netflix, broadcasting the fight, amped things up even more by teasing that the huge British showdown would happen this autumn. But Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, pushed the decision back onto Joshua. “The only one who can confirm it is AJ,” he said. “It’s one man holding things up.”
Fury himself doubled down: “If it isn’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m done with boxing. It’s him, or I’m gone.”
On the other side, Joshua’s team fired back against any claims that AJ was running from the fight. Eddie Hearn, his promoter, explained why Joshua didn’t step into the ring: “He’s not interested in the theatrics if there’s no deal done. How many times has this fight supposedly been on? Years go by, nothing happens. Until something’s signed, it’s all just talk. AJ knows it’s Fury who really needs this, and he’ll fight him. We’re confident it happens, but right now, nothing is signed.”
And as for the talk about Joshua being scared? Hearn shut that down: “Scared of what, of that? Even Fury’s own fans feel the energy is different now. We don’t see anything other than an AJ win.”
