Fight cleared despite injury fears
The long discussed crossover bout between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua will go ahead as planned after boxing officials confirmed the rules for the contest.
According to Joe Harker of LADbible, doubts had emerged in recent weeks after Paul suffered an injury during sparring and amid criticism that the YouTuber turned boxer was taking an extreme risk by facing a significantly larger and more experienced opponent.
Despite those concerns, organisers have confirmed the fight will take place on 19 December in Florida, with UK viewers able to watch in the early hours of 20 December via Netflix.
Professional status confirmed
This will be a fully professional contest, meaning the result will count on both fighters’ official records.
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According to BBC Sport, figures within boxing have raised concerns about Paul’s safety due to the weight and experience gap between the two men.
Paul, who is 28, has won 12 of his 13 professional fights, seven of them by knockout. His only defeat came via split decision against Tommy Fury.
Joshua enters the bout with far more experience, having won 28 of his 32 fights and stopping 25 opponents. The former two time unified world heavyweight champion has lost only to Andy Ruiz Jr, Daniel Dubois and twice to Oleksandr Usyk.
Standard rules return after tyson bout
Unlike Paul’s exhibition style contest against Mike Tyson, this fight will follow largely standard professional regulations.
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According to LADbible’s reporting, the bout is scheduled for eight rounds of three minutes each, with both fighters wearing regulation 10oz gloves.
The Tyson fight had featured shorter rounds and heavier gloves, changes that critics argued reduced the likelihood of knockouts and altered the competitive balance.
Joshua, who competes as a heavyweight, must weigh no more than 17 stone 7 pounds at the weigh in on 18 December. Even so, the format remains unusual for him, as it is his first fight scheduled for fewer than 10 rounds since 2015.
Why the risk of a fast finish has fans uneasy
Both camps have confirmed that knockouts are permitted, with no headgear and standard gloves in use.
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Given the visible size difference between the fighters, many fans believe the contest could end quickly. Joshua has publicly promised no mercy once the fight begins.
The event is set to start at 1am UK time on Saturday, 20 December.
Sources: LADbible, BBC Sport
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