Many members of the boxing community have made their concern about Jake Paul fighting Anthony Joshua extremely clear.
For example, former unified cruiserweight world champion and WBA heavyweight champion David Haye said, “I hope we’ve got a referee in there who’s quite compassionate because if Jake Paul is left up against the ropes with Anthony Joshua unloading on him, it could be the end for him. It could be his last day on earth,” during an interview with Sky News on November 17.
Asserting that somebody could die in the ring is nothing to joke about, given the fact that deaths can and do occur within the sweet science. But Haye was clearly being serious.
And if there’s one person who could inflict potentially lethal damage in a bout, it’s probably the 6’6″, 245-pound Anthony Joshua, as he’s typically viewed as the most devastating puncher in the heavyweight division.
Anthony Joshua | IMAGO / PA Images
If there’s one advantage that Jake Paul can glean from having much less experience than Joshua, it’s that his chin hasn’t been put to the test nearly as much, which should make him less susceptible to getting knocked out by a single punch from the former two-time heavyweight champion (in theory).
Then again, Joshua can knock anybody out with one punch. And even if Paul proved capable of withstanding these shots, getting hit repeatedly by Joshua will not bode well for his brain.
Oleksandr Usyk Delivers Bleak Message to Jake Paul
Jake Paul has gone on record saying that he is taking inspiration from heavyweight great Oleksandr Usyk ahead of his December 19 bout against Joshua, given that Usyk was able to beat Joshua twice despite having a marked size disadvantage (although Usyk is two inches taller than Paul).
However, Usyk doesn’t seem to think Paul should be feeling confident at all, which he conveyed when speaking to reporters at the WBC Convention on December 1.
“If Anthony Joshua wants, he can kill this guy,” Usyk said of Joshua fighting Jake Paul, per an X post from Ring Magazine. He then added, “I will pray [for] Jake Paul because I want to fight Jake Paul in the octagon.”
Oleksandr Usyk issues a serious warning to Jake Paul ahead of his fight with Anthony Joshua, while speaking to reporters at the WBC Convention ‼️ pic.twitter.com/vydOymMnAL
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) December 2, 2025
Usyk is alluding to potentially fighting against Paul in an MMA bout, which both have spoken about in the past. However, given that Joshua has enough power in his punches to end Paul’s professional fighting career, Usyk has a clear reason to hope that he leaves the ring healthy after this bout ends.
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