Jake Paul Tipped as Leading Candidate for Anthony Joshua’s Next Opponent

Anthony Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has named Jake Paul as the most likely opponent for the British heavyweight’s next fight, a prospect that has stunned much of the boxing world, Sport360NG reports.

Joshua, who has been out of action since a stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, underwent elbow surgery in May but is eyeing a return to the ring in late 2025. Meanwhile, Paul, the YouTuber-turned-fighter, has built momentum with recent wins over Mike Tyson at heavyweight and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at cruiserweight, pushing himself into contention for a bout with the former unified world champion.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, Hearn admitted the scenario was unconventional but confirmed active talks were underway.

“In this bizarre world we live in, Jake Paul is absolutely the front-runner to fight Anthony Joshua next,” Hearn said. “I’m in New York right now for a meeting about that fight. There’s open dialogue between me, Nakisa Bidarian (Paul’s manager) and Most Valuable Promotions.”

Hearn was quick to stress that the matchup would be far from even.

“This is not a 50/50 fight, it’s extremely dangerous for Jake Paul,” he said. “The boxing world wants AJ to go in there and evaporate this young man so we can all move on. Jake’s fans think he can win, and, bizarrely, Jake genuinely believes it too.”

The Matchroom chief suggested Paul’s camp may view Joshua as vulnerable following recent defeats, but warned that the American could be walking into serious trouble.

“Be careful what you wish for, this is like watching David Blaine attempt a dangerous stunt,” Hearn added. “You’re talking about stepping in with one of the most fearsome punchers of our generation.”

Despite its unconventional appeal, Hearn predicted the bout could shatter commercial records, with early 2026 targeted for its staging.

“Commercially, it would break all kinds of records. I genuinely believe you’ll see it happen at the start of 2026,” he said.

Since turning professional in 2020, Paul has compiled a 12–1 record, his only loss coming against Tommy Fury in 2023. The 28-year-old has since defeated Nate Diaz, Andre August, Ryan Bourland, and most recently Chavez, after which he publicly called out Joshua and held talks with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh to push for the fight.

According to Hearn, Joshua’s stance on the idea is straightforward.

“For AJ, it’s simple, ‘You want me to knock Jake Paul out? No problem,’” he said.