Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will collide on December 19 in Miami, marking one of the most unexpected matchups of the boxing year. The heavyweight bout will take place at the Kaseya Center and stream live on Netflix, following rapid negotiations after Paul’s exhibition with Gervonta Davis collapsed due to Davis’ legal issues. For Joshua, the fight arrives after more than a year out of the ring and offers a late-2025 tune-up before a major campaign planned for 2026.
Paul enters the fight with a 12-1 (7 KOs) record and fresh off a decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., while proclaiming that defeating Joshua will erase all doubt about his ambitions. Joshua, however, is being positioned by his promoter Matchroom as the heavy favorite, expected to “sweep through Paul with ease” as he rebuilds from his 2024 loss to Daniel Dubois. The Brit has healed an elbow injury and was already seeking a December return before major plans in early 2025 and a potential summer showdown with Tyson Fury.
Watch Paul vs. Chavez Jr. highlights.
Despite the spectacle surrounding the matchup, the rules are straightforward. It will be a sanctioned professional heavyweight fight over eight three-minute rounds using 10oz gloves. Unlike Paul’s modified exhibition with Mike Tyson, no concessions have been made - other than Joshua agreeing to a 245-pound cap, five pounds lighter than his last outing. Paul insisted on full professional conditions, and Joshua has warned he intends to approach the bout with “no mercy.”
For Joshua, the appeal is global visibility. Though a major star in Britain, he has struggled to connect with U.S. audiences, and flattening Paul in front of Netflix’s massive subscriber base could dramatically boost his international profile. The move is significant enough that DAZN, who have an exclusive deal with Joshua, approved his temporary crossover to another platform. For Paul, the fight represents both extraordinary risk and enormous reward, as Joshua is by far the biggest, most dangerous opponent he has faced.
What happens afterward depends largely on the result. Joshua is expected to continue seamlessly into his planned 2026 schedule, including a February bout in Riyadh and a potential blockbuster against Fury. Paul’s future is less certain: a brutal loss could see him walk away after earning nine-figure sums in five years, while a competitive showing would redefine his place in the sport. One way or another, December 19 will be unlike anything boxing has seen in years.
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Image Credit: Netflix