It appears that Jake Paul is close to securing a replacement opponent for his cancelled fight with Gervonta Davis, and the weights couldn’t be more different.
Paul’s promotional team, MVP, has been working hard behind the scenes to secure an opponent for the rescheduled date in December, and had reportedly explored the likes of Andre Ward, Francis Ngannou and Ryan Garcia.
Enter Anthony Joshua, who was happy to resume talks that started earlier this year but were ended when Paul signed a deal with ‘Tank’ Davis. The Ring’s Mike Coppinger now reports that the heavyweight match-up is in the final stages of being signed.
‼️ Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are finalizing a deal for a heavyweight fight on Netflix in December in Miami, sources tell The Ring’s Mike Coppinger.
Paul steps up to fight the former heavyweight champion after his exhibition with Gervonta Davis was cancelled. pic.twitter.com/TEVZUAk3m9
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) November 12, 2025
If the fight is secured, Joshua will be returning to the ring for the first time since a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in August of last year. He has his sights set on a clash with Tyson Fury in 2026, and was open to a warm-up fight in the interim period. Many will feel that Paul may not even provide that, with his experience and skill level pale in comparison to that of the Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time unified heavyweight champion from the UK.
The American YouTuber-turned-fighter was last in action against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, a points win, and previously faced former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson In a controversial eight rounder.
The event, which will take place in Miami, Florida, is still due to be streamed live on Netflix, meaning the roadblock of ‘AJ’s exclusive deal with DAZN must have been overcome. More news is expected soon.
