Anthony Joshua’s Promoter, Eddie Hearn, has said Jake Paul is absolutely the “front-runner” to fight the Anglo-Nigerian next, saying it is “bizarre” Paul and his “merry men” think he can beat heavyweight AJ.

Joshua, who has not fought since losing to Daniel Dubois in September last year, underwent elbow surgery in May but is targeting a return to the ring later in 2025.

Since then, YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Paul has beaten veterans Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr at heavyweight and cruiserweight respectively.

Hearn told Sky Sports News: “This bizarre world that we live in, I think Jake Paul is absolutely the front-runner to fight Anthony Joshua next.

“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 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.

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