A former coach of Anthony Joshua has shared his verdict on the controversial heavyweight clash between ‘AJ’ and Jake Paul.
Two-time unified world champion Joshua is set to face Paul in a sanctioned eight round professional bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Friday December 19, with the event broadcast live on Netflix.
The 36-year-old from Watford has been out of action ever since he suffered the fourth defeat of his professional career to former IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024.
As for Paul, the former YouTube star made his return to the ring back in June when he defeated Mexico’s former WBC world middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at the conclusion of their cruiserweight battle in California.
Speaking to ESNEWS, former ‘AJ’ trainer Robert Garcia claimed that whilst Joshua should have no trouble defeating Paul, he hinted at the possibility of the Brit slipping up if he is not confident heading into the bout.
“I think he should knock the s**t out of Jake Paul but f**k, in boxing you never know man … It’s not like something I’m making up. People have already questioned Anthony’s head, his mind. People have questioned that, but if it’s a solid Anthony, a confident Anthony, he’s gotta knock the s**t out of [Jake Paul].”
Should he be victorious over Paul later this month, Joshua is expected to move on and potentially face long-term rival Tyson Fury, who is reportedly considering coming out of retirement to face his domestic foe in 2026.
