MIAMI – Anthony Joshua vowed to inflict meaningful damage on Jake Paul, stating he intends to “break” the American boxer, but also acknowledged Paul as a “serious fighter” ahead of their December 19th heavyweight clash at Miami‘s kaseya Center.
The bout, pitting the former two-time unified heavyweight champion against the youtuber-turned-boxer, has drawn considerable attention due to the stark contrast in experiance and skill level. While widely considered a mismatch,the fight represents a significant financial chance for both athletes and a test of Paul’s ambition to establish himself as a legitimate boxing contender. The outcome will likely shape Paul’s future opponents and Joshua’s trajectory as he seeks to regain championship status.
“I’m going to break his face and break his body up. I’m here to prove I’m the better fighter,” Joshua, 35, declared. “I’ll stomp all over him.That’s a fighter’s mentality. I’m going to really want to hurt him. That’s what I want to do.”
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, the face-to-face promotional event saw a surprisingly respectful exchange between Joshua and Paul, deviating from Paul’s typically theatrical approach. Paul, however, redirected criticism towards Francis Ngannou, labeling him “a joke” after Ngannou turned down a potential fight offer.
Paul also claimed offers for the December fight were extended to Tommy Fury and Ryan Garcia,both of whom he said declined due to fear. He further announced that a fight with pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford is scheduled for next year.
Joshua also addressed his ongoing rivalry with Tyson Fury, Tommy’s brother, dismissing a £1m bet Fury proposed on a Paul victory. “”[Paul] is better than Tyson Fury – he’s actually sitting here. I give him credit for that,” Joshua stated. “I’m just here to fight. I’ll get the job done, collect my cheque and that’s it.”
