Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul came face to face in a tense final staredown, pressing their fists inches from each other’s faces. Moments later, Joshua delivered a chilling message during his post-weigh-in interview.
What had been a largely cordial build-up boiled over at Thursday’s ceremonial weigh-in at the Jackie Gleason Theater at The Fillmore Miami Beach.
“I’m a serious fighter,” Joshua said. “You’re going to get f—– up.”
Joshua and Paul will clash Friday night in a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout at Miami’s Kaseya Center, streaming live on Netflix. The fighters will use 10-ounce gloves, standard for the heavyweight division, though the contest will take place in a slightly larger 22-by-22-foot ring rather than the traditional 20-by-20 setup.
At the official weigh-in earlier Thursday, Paul tipped the scales at 216.6 pounds, while Joshua came in at 243.4 pounds, safely under the 245-pound contractual limit. Joshua enters the bout with a record of 28-4 (25 KOs).
The 36-year-old former two-time unified heavyweight champion and 2012 Olympic gold medalist is fighting for the first time since suffering a fifth-round knockout loss to former IBF champion Daniel Dubois in September.
Paul, meanwhile, is making a massive step up in competition. The 28-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer owns a 12-1 record with seven knockouts and has won six straight fights. His most recent victory was a dominant unanimous decision over former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28.
“I smell fear,” Paul said. “I truly do. The pressure is on him. I’m fighting free. I’ve already won. This is a lose-lose situation for him. I’ve got him in a corner right where I want him. … I’m f—— him up.”
Paul made his professional debut in 2020 in Miami on a Matchroom Boxing card — the same promotional banner under which Joshua has fought his entire career. According to Joshua, that connection is no coincidence.
“[Eddie Hearn] is the man who started Jake’s pro career,” Joshua said. “He helped Jake have his pro debut, and he’s brought me in to end Jake Paul’s boxing career.”
