It’s not quite “David vs. Goliath,” but the size difference was clear when Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua faced each other in Miami, FL, on Friday afternoon to promote their December 19 fight, which streams live and exclusively on Netflix.
Although there were some verbal jabs exchanged between the two fighters, Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) remained pretty calm throughout the press conference. Questions were asked by both men regarding how seriously they are taking this fight, and while most of the focus was on the former unified heavyweight champion Joshua, Paul expressed that he understands the risks involved but believes he has the skills to beat Joshua.
Here are a few quotes sent out by MVP from Paul and Joshua’s press conference on Friday.
JAKE PAUL
On why he’s fighting Anthony Joshua: I like to challenge myself. I like to take on the biggest, the best. I said anyone, anytime, any place – I truly mean that. No one ever thought that this would be possible, that we would be here when I first started boxing, and no one thinks I’m going to win. So join the list and be ready to be shocked.
On dealing with critics and the idea he’s in a lose-lose situation: I’ve never been knocked down or knocked out, even in sparring, but I’m in a sport where that happens. This is not a one-sided fight as people think. And I have power, I have the ability to put people to sleep. That’s why I took this challenge – and I know it’s crazy and all of that, but I’m excited. I’m genuinely excited. My team’s excited and everyone believes in me, and that’s all that matters.
On his official prediction for the fight: Official prediction: I think a fourth or fifth round knockout by me. Damn. There it is.
ANTHONY JOSHUA
On how the Jake Paul fight came together and his reaction to it: It’s great. I think it’s massive. It’s colossal. It’s making big news. We’re bringing marketability together with ability. Those two worlds collide. You’ve got Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua, and we’re here in Miami. We’re bringing Europe, Africa, Asia, and Nigeria, the whole world together to watch this show on Netflix; it’s going to be phenomenal. And that’s how we ended up here. Basically, two guys that just want to put on a good show.
On how seriously he’s taking Jake Paul: He’s been professional now, what, four years? Five, I do believe, right? Five years. So after three years, I was the underdog and no one believed in me – I came up fighting the best in the world. You can’t underestimate anyone.
On what he’ll bring to the fight: I’m going to bring him to another school of boxing that I don’t think he’s been exposed to yet. So there’s a few tricks I have up my sleeve to show Jake on December 19th.
With this fight being official, the oddsmakers have already made Joshua the heavy betting favorite, with TKO/KO being the most likely outcome.
JAKE PAUL VS. ANTHONY JOSHUA BETTING ODDS
Per DraftKings SportsBook, Anthony Joshua is the favorite at -1100, and Jake Paul is the underdog at +650.
Jake Paul: TKO/KO +1100; Decision +1600
Draw: +1800
Anthony Joshua: TKO/KO -400; Decision +500
JAKE PAUL VS ANTHONY JOSHUA UNDERCARD FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT
Earlier in the day, MVP (Most Valuable Promotions) announced the following undercard fights supporting the Paul-Joshua card:
Anderson “The Spider” Silva (3-2, 2 KOs boxing, 34-11, 22 KOs MMA) vs Tyron Woodley (0-2 boxing, 19-7-1, 7 KOs MMA)
Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner (16-1, 7 KOs) vs. Leila Beaudoin (13-1, 2 KOs) for Baumgardner’s WBA, WBO, and IBF super featherweight titles.
Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson (18-2, 8 KOs) vs. Amanda “Bambola” Galle (12-0-1, 1 KO) for Johnson’s undisputed bantamweight title.
Yokasta Valle (33-3, 10 KOs) vs. Yadira “La Reina” Bustillos (11-1, 2 KOs) for Valle’s WBC strawweight world title.
Avious “Tha Underdog” Griffin (17-1, 16 KOs) vs. Justin “Stallion” Cardona (10-1, 5 KOs)
Keno Marley (Pro Debut) vs. Diarra Davis Jr. (2-1, 1 KO)
Now that the fight has been officially announced, anticipation for this event will keep growing all the way until fight night. Early social media chatter suggests that this event could easily beat September’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight, which was watched by over 41 million Netflix accounts. With Paul’s large social media following and Joshua’s massive fanbase in the U.K., it’s easy to see how this could become the second most-watched fight in boxing history. We’re less than a month away from finding out.
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