Tim Bradley has spoken out after it was announced that Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul were in negotiations for a bout this December.
Two-time unified world heavyweight champion Joshua has been preparing for his long-awaited return to the ring, over 12 months on from his shock knockout defeat to countryman Daniel Dubois.
The 36-year-old from Watford was stopped in the fifth round of the IBF heavyweight title showdown at Wembley Stadium in September 2024, the fourth loss of his storied professional career.
Paul had been pencilled in to face reigning WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis on November 14, but their controversial exhibition bout was scrapped after ‘Tank’ found himself at the centre of a domestic violence case.
It has been reported this week that Joshua and Paul are now on the verge of finalising a deal to share the ring with each other next month, with it also believed it would be a professional contest rather than an exhibition.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, two-weight world champion Bradley said that, while Paul’s team believe Joshua may be ‘weak minded’, he says that it should be an ‘easy fight’ for the British heavyweight superstar. The Hall of Fame fighter then suggested that, should ‘AJ’ not win, that he will believe the fight was ‘scripted’ – something Paul’s team have fought back strongly against in the past.
“Is it true? Is it real? Hey, I like this fight way better … They did it again! They got another guy in there that’s a little bit weak minded, one that might even sell his soul a little bit for that money, yeah and go ahead and lay down for Jake Paul. This supposed to be a easy fight for a dude like Anthony Joshua.
“A dude that did 24 rounds with freaking Usyk, a guy that knocked out Ngannou, one of the baddest mans on the planet, boy this supposed to be easy licking for him, easy money.
“Shoot if he go in there and be who he is, right, an experienced Olympic Gold Medallist, an experienced fighter that he is, bigger than Jake Paul, stronger than Jake Paul, got more skill than Jake Paul… He’s supposed to serve Jake Paul, but if he don’t go in there and serve Jake Paul then you know what it is guys, our questions gonna be answered, straight up scripted. Straight up WWE … Because Anthony Joshua, he’s supposed to smash Jake Paul.”
