Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face each other this Friday (19), at the Kaseya Center, in Miami, in a heavyweight fight that has caused distrust and curiosity among fans and experts. The fight pits the YouTuber who became a boxing phenomenon face to face with a former two-time world champion.
Paul, with a record built mostly against former MMA fighters, inactive athletes and retired champions, faces the first active heavyweight. On the other side, Joshua, who is one of the most respected names in the last decade in world boxing.
The fight takes place in Miami because stricter commissions, such as those in Nevada or New York, would hardly authorize a confrontation considered by many to be a huge technical and physical difference, despite all professional requirements being met.
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Context raises doubts about the duel
Anthony Joshua, owner of a record of 28 wins and four losses, with 25 knockouts, has not fought since September last year, when he suffered a knockout against compatriot Daniel Dubois. Now, at 35 years old, he is planning the end of his career and sees the duel as another big event.
Jake Paul has 12 wins and just one loss, with seven knockouts. Despite the numbers, his resume always raised questions. The initial idea was to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis, world featherweight and lightweight champion, in an exhibition fight, but the fight was cancelled, and Joshua ended up appearing on the card.
The difference in history, experience and weight gave rise to theories about special agreements and possible “combinations” behind the scenes, which led the organizers to detail all the rules of the fight.
What are the rules of the confrontation?
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua will not be an exhibition. The duel will be valid as a professional heavyweight fight and will count towards both of their records. The fight will have eight rounds of three minutes each, a shorter duration than traditional world title fights, which usually have 12 rounds.
The two athletes will use 10-ounce gloves (about 283 grams), standard for professional clashes in the category. The fight will be fought under a mandatory 10-point scoring system, with judges evaluating effective aggression, clean strikes, defense and ring control.
Differences for the fight against Mike Tyson
Although the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson was also registered as professional, the duel against Joshua will have much more rigorous conditions. Against Tyson, Paul fought in two-minute rounds, using 14-ounce gloves, in an adaptation designed for the former champion’s advanced age.
The Brit is used to long fights and hasn’t fought an eight-round fight since 2015, when he was still at the beginning of his professional career.
There is also a curious clause: Joshua cannot exceed 245 pounds (about 111 kg) at the weigh-in. Even so, the limit shouldn’t be a problem, as he has already fought below that weight on other occasions and should arrive conditioned after preparation.
Scoring system for the duel
If the fight comes to an end, the decision will be made by the three side judges, following traditional professional boxing criteria. Knockdowns generate a clear advantage in scoring, and even a round without a fall can be scored as 10 to 8 if a fighter dominates.
Draws are possible. Despite this, Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua promised a knockout, and the context of the fight means that any result other than a resounding victory for Joshua will generate negative repercussions for the Brit.
