Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul heavyweight fight faces major UK blow

A potential clash between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul might have to take place in America, as there's no certainty the British Boxing Board of Control would approve the heavyweight bout as a professional fight.

Paul sent shockwaves through the boxing world earlier this year when he called out the two-time heavyweight champion for a scrap. Both fighters had a brief telephone conversation before agreeing to the contest. The YouTuber-turned-boxer returned to action in June, beating former middleweight king Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Once more, the 'Problem Child' demanded a bout with Joshua.

In July, the 28-year-old was at ringside watching Oleksandr Usyk's victory over Daniel Dubois and confirmed a future clash with Joshua would happen next year. He told DAZN: "Yeah 100 per cent it's going to happen. We're going to do the unthinkable and create one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing."

It appears that talks between both camps have intensified in recent weeks, though several obstacles may emerge. Paul has only competed once at heavyweight - a points victory against Mike Tyson last November - and typically fights at cruiserweight (200lb), reports All Out Fighting.

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Meanwhile, Joshua stands five inches taller than the American and hasn't weighed under 250lb since 2022. With several potential obstacles that both camps would need to navigate, there's no certainty that a clash between the pair would receive licensing in the UK as a professional contest. The event organisers would need to submit an application to the British Boxing Board of Control for consideration. Speaking to Sky Sports, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn disclosed: "I would think the fight would most likely take place in the US anyway to be honest."

Nevertheless, Hearn reckons Paul is definitely the "front-runner" to face Joshua next. "This bizarre world that we live in, I think Jake Paul is absolutely the front-runner to fight Anthony Joshua next," he said. "I'm here in New York for a meeting about that fight. There's open dialogue between myself and Nakisa [Bidarian, Paul's manager] and MVP [Most Valuable Promotions]. I can't sit here and tell you this is a 50/50 match-up. The whole thing is bizarre. I think it's extremely dangerous for Jake Paul. The boxing world are saying, 'please AJ, go in and evaporate this young man from the boxing world so we can all get on as normal'.

"You've got Jake Paul fans thinking, bizarrely, they can beat Anthony Joshua, and the most bizarre thing out of everything is that Jake Paul genuinely believes he will beat Anthony Joshua. I think it's the only reason we're going to see this fight because Jake Paul and his merry men are telling him that AJ's punch resistance is gone, 'this is a great time to fight him'.

"I'm telling you, be careful for what you wish for because this is the most dangerous thing. This is like tuning in to watch [magician] David Blaine. You know when he's in a box and you're wondering whether he's going to get out in time, I've told Nakisa, this ain't David Blaine. This is going in with one of the fiercest punchers of our generation and if you go in there thinking you're going to win, that's even more dangerous. I know commercially this fight breaks all kinds of records and I don't even know what's going on to know that we're sitting there negotiating this fight, but I truly believe you're going to see it at the beginning of 2026. For AJ, he says to me, 'you want me to go and knock Jake Paul out? No problem'. That's where we sit."

When is Anthony Joshua's next fight?

Joshua hasn't stepped into the ring since his devastating knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last September. An immediate rematch between the two heavyweights appeared probable at one point. However, Joshua picked up some minor injuries which required additional recovery time away from boxing.

The former world champion is currently recuperating from recent elbow surgery, though the British fighter is eager to make his comeback before 2024 draws to a close. His promoter Eddie Hearn has lately disclosed that 'AJ' is now looking to move forward with his career after repeatedly chasing a clash with Fury, although he continues to hold out hope of eventually settling matters with the 'Gypsy King' before retirement. In a chat with Sky Sports about Joshua's future, Hearn revealed: "Yeah, good, he had that operation recently... that elbow surgery, which went very well. You will see him return in October, November or December."