Jake Paul is gearing up for the opportunity of a lifetime as he prepares to face Anthony Joshua next month.
The 28-year-old from Arizona is set to face the two-time unified world heavyweight champion at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Friday December 19, the latest high-profile boxing event to be broadcast on Netflix.
Paul was originally scheduled to face reigning WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis on November 14, but the controversial exhibition clash was scrapped after ‘Tank’ found himself in trouble following reports of a domestic violence allegation.
Before Paul’s shock clash with Joshua was made official, it was reported that the 28-year-old had shortlisted a number of potential opponents which included Ryan Garcia and Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.
Another fighter that was reportedly reached out to for a showdown with ‘The Problem Child’ was Tommy Fury, who actually handed Paul the first defeat of his career back in 2023.
Speaking on social media, Paul revealed that he made an offer of around $15 million to his former rival – as later confirmed by Fury himself – which was reportedly turned down by the unbeaten Brit.
“Respect due to all the fighters that said yes. We had to put all options on the table and make a decision.
“Guess who didn’t say yes even for $15M. Bitch made you and your father are, who controls everything you do. You are not a man. You are a boy. Daddy’s little boy.”
Paul dropped Fury in the eighth and final round of their cruiserweight clash in Diriyah back in February 2023, but would ultimately suffer a split decision defeat to ‘TNT’ in what was a competitive match-up.
Fury has since revealed that due to travel restrictions and the fight being in the US, he was forced to say no. His team say they requested the show move to Canada instead.
