Jake Paul's next fight with Anthony Joshua is causing a stir, for more reasons than Paul being a heavy underdog in the bout. While some think Paul is foolish to risk his health against such a skilled opponent, there are boxing fans who think Joshua agreeing to fight him is also a bit beneath what he should be pursuing as a former Olympic gold medalist and champion of the sport. However, now sports pundit Ariel Helwani is entering the chat with a key piece of defense.
Helwani spoke up on the fight, which will stream live for those with a Netflix subscription on December 19th, and talked about the spectacle of the fight on The Ariel Helwani Show. While some may look down on Anthony Joshua for taking a "spectacle" fight for a payday, Helwani was sure to point out he's far from the first notable boxer to participate in such a fight:
Look, Jake Paul x Anthony Joshua may not be your cup of tea—I get it—but to suggest that AJ's legacy is being ruined by just taking this fight is absolute nonsense. In 1976, the heavyweight champion of the world and the most famous boxer on the planet, Muhammad Ali, went to Japan to fight in a mixed-rules bout against a pro wrestling legend named Antonio Inoki. Did that ruin his legacy?
He has a point. When Will Smith played Muhammad Ali, the movie didn't feature his big fight with pro wrestler Antonio Inoki. People talk about the Thrilla in Manila, and I'm sure they'll look back more on Anthony Joshua's high points in his career than on his fight with Jake Paul. Assuming he wins, of course, because should he lose, the narrative would then shift to a massive turning point in Paul's career.
It wasn't just Muhammad Ali who took a promotional fight for the money in his career, either. Ariel Helwani continued with examples that, honestly, make Joshua's bout with Paul sound more official than some events pro boxers have participated over the years:
In 1975, a year prior, a man by the name of George Foreman, coming off a loss to Muhammad Ali, fought five jobbers in a ring at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on the same night.Numerous boxing greats have taken paydays—the bags, freak-show fights, circus fights, whatever you want to call it. Prize fighters are prize fighters, and prize fighters will do prize-fighter-like things.
I would argue that Anthony Joshua is giving the world what it wants: a worthy opponent for Jake Paul. He has the skills that talented MMA fighters lacked when they boxed Paul, and isn't well past his prime like Mike Tyson. The world wants to see the young fighter take on an actual challenge, and Joshua appears more than willing to oblige.
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If there's any concern, it may be that Jake Paul is risking an actual threat to his life stepping into a ring against Anthony Joshua. Unlike someone like Mike Tyson, whose prime was well in the past, Joshua just fought for the IBF heavyweight title back in 2024. That bout ended with him being knocked out in the fifth round by professional boxer Daniel Dubois. He's still a prizefighter and, in terms of accomplishments, Paul is well out of his league.
That said, Paul aims to become a professional boxing champion. He earned a professional ranking earlier this year, though it was later removed amid controversy. If he wants to earn a title shot, he's going to have to take on someone relevant who has competed for titles, and that's where Anthony Joshua comes in. If Paul can hold his own, it may just put him on the road to earning some additional opportunities.
We'll see if Jake Paul can hang when he takes on Anthony Joshua on Friday, December 19th, on Netflix. That's not far off, so be sure to have that account updated, and prepare to watch what might be the most-hyped boxing match of the year.
