Eddie Hearn’s Brutal Comment on Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul

Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn has commented on the possibility that his superstar heavyweight Anthony Joshua could ever fight someone like Jake Paul in boxing.

Joshua has welcomed crossover events before, having taken on Francis Ngannou, shortly after the former UFC champion shook up the combat sports world by flooring but losing by decision to Tyson Fury. On Ngannou’s return to the ring, Joshua sent him back to MMA by knocking him out in two comfortable rounds.

That thumping performance failed to perturb the internet sensation Paul, who has, in recent weeks, turned to Joshua after failing in his attempts to lure Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez into the ring. Now, Hearn has issued a statement about the prospective bout.

Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua’s professional boxing records (as of 14/04/25)
	Jake Paul	Anthony Joshua
Fights	12	32
Wins	11 (7 KOs)	28 (25 KOs)
Losses	1	4

Jake Paul’s Comments About Fighting Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul has reignited his challenge to Anthony Joshua for a boxing fight in 2026.

Legendary promoter appears interested in the fight

For Hearn, Joshua has other opponents who are more suitable. He is, after all, chasing a rematch against Daniel Dubois, or a super-fight against Tyson Fury, should the former heavyweight king go back on his claim that he’s retired.

“We’re not basing our career around a potential fight with Jake Paul,” Hearn told reporters, as quoted by Ring Magazine.

Regardless, because of the money that such a fight would generate, Hearn appears open to the bout.

“But if we were offered it? Why not? It would be such an easy night’s work.”

Hearn has never been one to hold back when it comes to assessing Paul’s abilities, which he once said were “average,” and his marketing power, as he has promoted a Paul show before. And he said recently that going from Tank, to Canelo, and then to Joshua, would be a mistake.

“There’s a difference between fighting Gervonta Davis, even Canelo Alvarez, and then fighting AJ,” he said. “The other two, you can get humiliated and beaten up a little bit. The other one, you can be fully decapitated. This ain’t a game.”

Though Hearn believes it would be a loss via decapitation, he said last month that the fight could break box office records due to the mainstream popularity Paul possesses in America, and online, combined with Joshua’s pedigree, and proven history in boxing. In the UK, Hearn said it would sell to “two million” households. In America, it could “probably [be] a 10 million pay-per-view fight,” he finished.