Boxing opinion: Fighting Jake Paul won’t ruin Anthony Joshua’s legacy
On Monday, Matchroom and MVP promotions announced that Anthony Joshua will be stepping back into the ring, confirming the rumours that it will be against Jake Paul.
On Friday, December 19, Netflix will broadcast the high-profile event. They also streamed the Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez undisputed title fight back in September.
Joshua vs Paul will compete over eight rounds, with a three-minute time-limit per round, with both wearing 10 oz gloves.
The only stipulation is the weight: Joshua cannot weigh more than 245 lbs.
The news of the fight has caused plenty of uproar, particularly surrounding Joshua, but taking on Paul will not tarnish his legacy, says Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu.
Uproar around Miami fight
Paul haters will be getting what they've wished for a long time.
Now, you could make a case that you'd rather see Joshua fight other heavyweights, such as Joseph Parker, Zhilei Zhang, Filip Hrgović, or a rematch against Daniel Dubois.
There’s no arguments here regarding that.
But to call his legacy into question is absurd.
Crossover fights in combat sports have happened before. On June 26, 1976, Muhammad Ali fought Antonio Inoki in a mixed-rules fight.
Ali's legacy to this day is rarely questioned, with him regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
How is that any different to what Joshua is doing?
British boxing on the map
Joshua has made it to the mountaintop twice, becoming a two-time heavyweight champion.
He also won Olympic Gold at the London event in 2012, helping put British boxing back on the map, with multiple sold-out events at Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021.
There were rumours that he was going to fight in Africa against a fighter in the top 100, but even then, people would ask ‘what does this prove?’ or ‘why is he fighting this guy?’.
Joshua is in the tail-end of his career - he isn't anywhere near the world title picture, having been knocked out by Dubois back in September 2024.
No big deal
Joshua wants to step back into the ring - and the fight against Jake Paul is one that’s available to him.
He'll make a lot of money from the event itself, and if he knocks Paul out in a round or two, what's the big deal?
Turki Al-Sheikh suggested that Joshua will fight again in February anyway.
If he does what everyone expects him to do against Paul, then all the legacy talk will mean nothing.
The only way this could have a real effect on his legacy is if Paul does the unthinkable or if Joshua lets this fight go past three or four rounds.
Legacy is established
Joshua taking this fight doesn’t affect the career or legacy he has already established.
If anything, it’s a problem for the sport as a whole for allowing people like Jake Paul into its world.
There's no real trouble for Joshua's legacy - he isn't the current heavyweight champion; he's not even close to being in contention either.
He's just looking to step back into the ring and earn a payday like any other top boxer would.
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