Joshua-Paul Fight Likely Headed to U.S. Amid UK Licensing Uncertainty

A blockbuster showdown between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul may have to cross the Atlantic, with uncertainty over whether the British Boxing Board of Control would sanction it as a professional bout on UK soil.

The unlikely match-up gained traction earlier this year when Paul — fresh from his YouTuber roots and now carving out a career in the ring — called out the two-time heavyweight champion. The pair even had a brief phone conversation before verbally agreeing to fight. Paul returned to action in June, defeating former middleweight king Julio César Chávez Jr, and quickly renewed his demand for a bout with “AJ.”

In July, the 28-year-old was ringside for Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Daniel Dubois and confidently told DAZN:

“Yeah, 100 per cent it’s going to happen. We’re going to do the unthinkable and create one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing.”

Talks between both camps have reportedly intensified in recent weeks, but there are obvious hurdles. Paul has only fought once at heavyweight — a points win over Mike Tyson last November — and usually campaigns at cruiserweight (200 lbs). Joshua, standing five inches taller and weighing no less than 250 lbs since 2022, presents a huge physical mismatch. Any UK staging would require formal approval from the British Boxing Board of Control, but promoter Eddie Hearn admits America is the likelier venue.

“I would think the fight would most likely take place in the US anyway, to be honest,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

Remarkably, Hearn believes Paul is now the “front-runner” to face Joshua next.

“In this bizarre world, I think Jake Paul is absolutely the front-runner to fight Anthony Joshua next. I’m here in New York for a meeting about that fight. There’s open dialogue between myself and Nakisa [Bidarian, Paul’s manager] and MVP [Most Valuable Promotions].”

Hearn was quick to stress the gulf in quality.

“This isn’t a 50/50 match-up. I think it’s extremely dangerous for Jake Paul. The boxing world is saying, ‘please AJ, go in and evaporate this young man from the boxing world so we can all get on as normal.’ But bizarrely, Jake Paul genuinely believes he will beat Anthony Joshua. They think AJ’s punch resistance is gone. I’ve told Nakisa, this isn’t David Blaine. This is one of the fiercest punchers of our generation.”

Despite the scepticism, Hearn predicts the fight could break commercial records and expects it to happen at the start of 2026.

“For AJ, he says to me, ‘You want me to go and knock Jake Paul out? No problem.’ That’s where we sit.”

Joshua’s comeback plans
The former unified champion has not fought since his brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last September. A rematch once looked likely, but minor injuries and subsequent elbow surgery forced him into a layoff. Now recovering well, Joshua is eyeing a return in October, November, or December.

Hearn says his fighter is ready to move on from the elusive Tyson Fury bout — though he still hopes to settle that rivalry before hanging up the gloves.