Jake Paul is a “massive frontrunner” to be the next fighter to face two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, promoter Eddie Hearn told Boxing News’ Andi Purewal on Friday.

“It’s gone from what I thought was a publicity stunt to a fight that has every chance of happening,” Hearn said.

Joshua’s last fight took place in September 2024, when he lost to Daniel Dubois by a fifth-round knockout in London.

Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) went into that fight surrounded by rumors of a future bout with Tyson Fury, but hasn’t scheduled a fight since his defeat by Dubois.

Hearns said on Friday that Joshua would be drawn to accept the fight because of the viewership that comes with fighting Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), who established himself as a YouTube and social media influencer before he launched his boxing career in 2018.

Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson last November drew the most streams of any global sporting event in history, according to Netflix.

“That fight, bizarrely, probably does bigger numbers than any other fight you could possibly make,” Hearns said. “AJ’s at the stage in his career, obviously, he doesn’t have a world title. He doesn’t have an opponent locked in. I have to present opportunities for him.”

Hearns continued, “There isn’t one fighter on the planet that wouldn’t go, ‘What, do you want me to go in there and chin Jake Paul for a load of money? Yeah, alright.’ I mean, that’s basically how that conversation would go.”

Hearns added that it had just been in “the last 24 hours” that Paul had become the biggest frontrunner to fight Joshua next.

Paul called out Joshua on a March episode of BS w/ Jake Paul, during which he claimed he could beat the two-time world champion.

“I want to fight Anthony Joshua, exclusive, because I know I will f–king beat Anthony Joshua’s a–,” Paul said. “He doesn’t have a chin, and he has no skill, and he’s stiff. And I love you Anthony, we’re friends… but I want to fight you.”

Paul weighed in at just under 200 pounds ahead of his last fight, a unanimous decision over former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, in June. He may need to put on some weight in order to take on Joshua, who weighed in at 252 pounds last September.