"An offer he simply couldn’t refuse"

Anthony Joshua’s decision to fight Jake Paul on 19 December in Miami has split opinion across the boxing world, with veteran broadcaster Steve Bunce insisting the Briton has accepted “an offer he simply couldn’t refuse.” The former two-time unified heavyweight champion, now 36, will meet the YouTuber-turned-boxer over eight three-minute rounds at the Kaseya Center, with both men wearing 10oz gloves. Joshua must come in under 245lbs, having weighed more than 250lbs in each of his previous three outings, while Paul enters as a self-styled disruptor and heavy underdog.

Bunce did not pull his punches on the sporting side of the matchup, calling the fight “ridiculous” and describing Paul as “a terrific novice” who usually operates at cruiserweight. But he was equally clear about why Joshua has taken the assignment, with reports suggesting the Brit could earn around £36.9m ($50m). Pointing to Paul’s wildly successful event with Mike Tyson last November, which drew vast global interest, Bunce said: “AJ has been made an offer he simply couldn’t refuse and he’s accepted,” adding that he would never begrudge a fighter such a payday, particularly given Joshua’s charitable work through his foundation.

The financial and entertainment appeal is not enough to silence safety concerns. Former British middleweight Nick Blackwell, who retired after suffering a brain injury against Chris Eubank Jr in 2016, called the fight “so dangerous” and said he does not want anyone to endure what he has been through. He warned that Joshua will “be able to do what he wants” against Paul, even as he acknowledged that “everyone’s going to want to watch it” and that the event will be a massive stage for both men. In contrast, Paul’s manager and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian argued that the bout is “more sanctionable than many fights in the sport,” claiming Joshua is “big, strong, but slower” and “more vulnerable to Jake’s movement.”

Bunce framed the matchup against recent crossover history, highlighting Francis Ngannou’s split-decision loss to Tyson Fury in 2023 and subsequent brutal knockout defeat to Joshua in 2024. He stressed the physical gap this time is even greater, noting Joshua will be “at least six inches taller” and potentially “four stone heavier” than Paul. While he admitted, as a purist, that this is “not dignified” as a late-career chapter for Joshua, he also accepted that the heavyweight era has already embraced similar spectacles and that fans will inevitably tune in: “Don’t try to say you won’t be watching, though - of course you will!”

From Paul’s side, the fight is being sold as a career-defining gamble. He has repeatedly vowed to “beat Anthony Joshua” and erase doubts about his legitimacy, while Bidarian has called it “the biggest combat sports event of 2025” and “the biggest fight” of Joshua’s career in terms of global reach and viewership. For Joshua, it is being framed as both a lucrative stopover and a chance to “break the internet over Jake Paul’s face,” even as talks continue in the background over a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury. As Bunce summed it up, Joshua is approaching “one of the final paydays” of his career - one that many see as a mismatch, but few will look away from.