Anthony Joshua is favoured by many boxing legends and experts, but several big names believe Jake Paul stands a fighting chance in Friday’s heavyweight showdown - with some even forecasting a knockout by the American underdog.
British two-time former world champion Joshua, 36, thinks that there is “zero chance this fight goes the distance”, adding: “It might go one round. It might go two rounds, but he won’t see the final bell.”
The bookies’ favourite continued: “It’s a win-win situation for Jake Paul because he’s in there with me and he could come back stronger even in defeat, but the only way it’s a win-win for me is if I get the knockout.”
Paul, 28, is contesting a heavyweight bout for the second time in his career, and has said he will beat Joshua in "the fifth or sixth round".
But what does the rest of the world think?
Tyson Fury
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the rumoured 2026 fight being cooked up between himself and Joshua, Fury has publicly backed Paul to beat his fellow Briton.
"Jake Paul chins AJ, 100 per cent,” predicted the currently retired former two-time world heavyweight champion. “If they fight, I'm putting a million pounds on Jake Paul.”
Fury, 37, also said he thinks Joshua is “a spent force” while Paul is “on the rise”.
"I like [Paul’s] new heavyweight look, he is a bit chubby, a bit bulky, he is getting there,” he continued.
Verdict: Paul to win
Oleksandr Usyk
Unified heavyweight champion Usyk - the only man to get the better of Joshua twice - was less convinced of a potential upset.
"If Anthony Joshua wants, he will kill this guy,” the Ukrainian said.
“Listen, a lot of questions, blah, blah, blah… Joshua is an Olympic champion, first. Jake Paul [is] a sportsman, a YouTuber, a showman.
“Joshua is a Rolls Royce, Jake is a Fiat.”
Usyk, 38, added: “Yes, I will pray [for] Jake Paul. I want to fight with Jake Paul in the Octagon.”
Verdict: Joshua to win
Deontay Wilder
Former American world heavyweight champion and knockout aficionado Wilder appeared to back Joshua, but admitted the fight seems “scripted”.
"In my opinion, it's scripted a little bit because of the weight difference and Joshua's a former champion and also he's current, he's active," Wilder, 40, said.
"This is going to be the first time we see Paul fighting an active fighter. We've seen the Mike Tyson [fight]. That was all fun. That was cute. It was fun and games, but now you're dealing with a real professional."
Deontay Wilder believes that Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua is a scripted fight!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/iodo2DsX0R
— Fight Hub TV (@FightHubTV) December 11, 2025
He added: “I just want everybody to have fun… we risk our lives for others’ entertainment… just go home safely… and say we did a great job."
Verdict: ‘Scripted’
David Haye
British former two-weight world champion David Haye, meanwhile, called Joshua “a real clean athlete who is going to inflict some horrendous and lasting damage to Jake Paul.”
Haye, 45, added: "I hope we've got a referee in there who's quite compassionate because if Jake Paul is left up against the ropes with Anthony Joshua unloading on him, it could be the end for him.
"It could be [Paul’s] last day on earth. In reality, it shouldn't go ahead."
Verdict: Joshua to win
Conor Benn
Conor Benn, who recently won his middleweight rematch against rival and fellow British Chris Eubank Jr, said he admires Paul’s bravery in stepping into the ring and admitted that “anything can happen”, but appeared relatively convinced of a Joshua victory.
“I’m sitting there thinking ‘I [could] beat Jake Paul’,” he said. “Then I’m sitting there going ‘how does AJ not beat Jake Paul’? There’s obviously something there though, there might be a chance.
The 29-year-old continued: “What chance do I give [Paul]? My head straight away just goes ‘have the ambulance ready’. Then part of me goes ‘but listen, we live in a world where anything can happen.’ So, I give it maybe ten per cent. He’s got gloves, he’s got a chin, he’s got hands.”
Benn praised Paul for being “commercial smart” to convince Joshua - “the golden boy of British boxing, of boxing as a whole” - to fight him, before adding: “But then I'm thinking to myself, is he actually that smart? Because [if he was] then he wouldn’t have taken this fight. Is he seeing something that we're not seeing? Is he smart, or is he just mental, but there’s a method to the madness?
“[Paul] knows the magnitude of this event. I don’t know how he does it, or even how he thinks he can win it, but there’s obviously something there.”
Verdict: Joshua to win, Paul has ‘maybe 10% chance’
Roy Jones Jr
A former world champion in four weight classes, Roy Jones Jr evidently knows a thing or two about packing on the pounds - as Paul will be hoping to have done in advance of facing the bigger, heavier Joshua.
The ex-boxer, who faced Tyson a few years before Paul did, said Friday’s fight was “dangerous” for his fellow American.
“You’re fighting a fellow Olympian... and [Paul] is a guy who just came off the street and got in, [has] been doing great things in boxing, brought a lot of attention to female boxing but at the same time, you didn’t grow up doing this.
Jones Jr, 56, continued: “Don’t get me wrong, boxing is sort of a home run sport - if you can land that home run - but it also takes skills to land that home run.
“Joshua has skills from [a] younger [age] at landing a home run. Jake does not, so it’s a tough fight. I think he feels like he’s got himself up to par to where he’s ready.
“[Paul] knows that if he can land a home run himself, he’s seen Joshua out or down before, so he knows that if he can land one, he can get one.
“But it’s a tough task because like even with Francis Ngannou, Francis did well with Tyson Fury, but Joshua’s a different animal. Keeping it real, keeping it 100 per cent with you, if you had a hard time beating Tommy Fury, how do I believe that you beat Anthony Joshua?”
In terms of his advice for Paul, he added: “Go for broke. Go out there and go for the kill. You’re not gonna outbox Anthony Joshua. Go out there, take your time, look for the big shot, try to get it. That’s the only chance you got, because you’re not gonna outbox AJ.
“Your only chance is to land that home run hit.”
Verdict: Joshua to win
Johnny Nelson
Former cruiserweight world champion turned analyst Johnny Nelson assessed that the “pressure is on” his compatriot, addig that Joshua “should” win the fight even on a bad day.
“1% of 1% think Jake Paul has a chance, and anybody who tells you differently is lying,” he said.
“Most people will watch this to see Jake Paul get his ar*e given to him, in reality, and they’ll also watch to see how AJ Is getting on.”
However, Nelson, 58, admitted that he still “worries” Joshua might “underestimate” Paul.
“Many times before, [AJ] has dropped the ball, he’s not performed to the best of his ability and lost or got knocked out,” he continued. “The question mark is above AJ, which AJ will turn up? Even if the wrong AJ turns up he should still win the fight.
“[Joshua] will struggle to respect Jake Paul as a threat and if Jake Paul gets 15 seconds of success, AJ is going to get vilified. So people say [Joshua] wants to go out there and knock him out - he wants to go out there and teach him a lesson, torture him.”
Verdict: Joshua ‘should’ win, but must not ‘underestimate’ Paul
Lennox Lewis
British-Canadian boxer Lennox Lewis, a former undisputed heavyweight champion, joined Usyk in predicting an “easy” win for Joshua.
“Entertainment and money make strange bedfellows,” the 60-year-old wrote on X.
“This should be easy work for AJ, though. Shout out to Jake for stepping into a fight like this. I didn’t see that coming.”
Verdict: ‘Easy work’ for Joshua to win
Amir Khan
Former lightweight world champion Amir Khan offered a straightforward prediction in favour of his fellow Brit.
"AJ wins by knockout," he said.
"This fight could be the fight that stops influencer boxing because if [Joshua] hits him with that same right hand that he caught Francis Ngannou with, I don't think any YouTuber will want to fight again."
Khan, 39, said he understands Joshua taking an “easy, comfortable fight” before voicing a warning to Paul.
“People get killed in boxing,” he said, admitting that he “thought it was a wind-up” when he first saw confirmation of the fight going ahead.
“Then I saw them head to head, and I saw Jake looking up at the sky. I thought, wow, this is actually happening.”
Verdict: Joshua to win (by knockout)
Oscar De La Hoya
Mexican-American former boxer turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya, winner of 11 world titles across six weight classes, is among those predicting an upset.
Writing on Instagram, the 56-year-old said he is “really excited” for the bout and that he is “predicting a Jake win by knockout.”
Verdict: Paul to win (by knockout)
Ray Mercer
Olympic gold medallist and former WBO heavyweight title holder Ray Mercer has given Paul his dues, but admitted he “hopes” for a Joshua knockout win.
“I think [Paul] can actually box, but just not on the level of the people that he’s boxing,” the American ex-boxer said.
“If he joined a tournament like the Golden Gloves or something like that, he might do good, but the people that he’s fighting, all the champions and all that, I mean, come on.”
Mercer, 64, added: “I hope [Joshua] can just say to hell with it and knock his ass out."
Verdict: Joshua to win (by knockout)
Hasim Rahman
Two-time world heavyweight champion and former unified title holder Hasim Rahman is another American throwing his weight behind Joshua due to the British boxer’s superior experience.
"I don't believe it should be a competitive fight," the 53-year-old said. "I feel like if Anthony Joshua don't go in there and manhandle [Paul, maul him and get him out of there in one or two rounds, then we got some questions to be asked."
Rahman added: "It should be an easy fight for Anthony Joshua. I mean, Jake Paul never fought anybody on that level in their prime or remotely useful."
Verdict: Joshua to win ‘easy fight’
Gerry Cooney
Former American heavyweight boxer Gerry Cooney, who challenged for heavyweight world titles twice in his career, said Paul has provided “great entertainment”.
However, he added: “Now, it's becoming a little bit of a joke, I feel. I mean, Joshua's going in there with him and do whatever they want him to do, or maybe not."
Verdict: Joshua likely to win ‘joke fight’
Derek Chisora
Zimbabwean-British boxer Derek Chisora, who has challenged twice for the WBC heavyweight title in his career, predicted that Joshua will wrap things up early on.
"AJ took a year out, easy fight for him and I think it should be laid to rest because I don't think AJ's going to go in there and try and pat him," said Chisora, 41.
He continued: "AJ is going to smoke him. I will say this about AJ - don't let [Paul] knock you out, because that will be f***ing nightmares forever, but AJ has to kill him in three rounds.
"[If the fight extends past three rounds] it doesn't mean I back Jake Paul, it means what is AJ doing?"
Verdict: Joshua to win early (by knockout)
Demetrious Johnson
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is leaning the other way.
"I think Jake can knock him out; Anthony Joshua has been knocked out by some weird a** shots before," said Johnson, 39.
"Andy Ruiz Jr, Dubois knocked him out with a short overhand right... Jake Paul can land one of those shots, he can.
"If Anthony Joshua doesn't get on his bicycle, start moving around and fight… [Joshua] can destroy Jake Paul, but I don’t see that happening. I think he’s gonna try to prove a point.”
He added: “And you know what? Maybe don’t know nothing. I don’t know about boxing, right? But I feel that Jake Paul could potentially knock out Anthony Joshua. I’m just saying it.”
Verdict: Paul to win (possibly by knockout)
Rolly Romero
Three-weight world champion Rolly Romero is also backing his fellow American.
"I've got Jake Paul, knockout,” said the 30-year-old. “I'm not even joking.”
Verdict: Paul to win (by knockout)
Tommy Fury
But Tommy Fury, the one man who has beaten Paul in a professional boxing match to date, disagreed with his brother Tyson and ruled that Joshua will have more than enough to win.
“If I can beat Jake then - excuse my French - what the f*** is Anthony Joshua going to do to Jake?" said Fury, 26.
"I think that my dad said that AJ could beat [Paul] with his p**** and I completely will back that up.
"Even if AJ had a broken arm in there, it still wouldn’t go past a minute.”
Verdict: Joshua to win
Conor McGregor
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor expressed concern rather than an outright prediction, stating that the fight “shouldn’t go ahead”.
“If [Paul] makes that walk [to the ring], I’ve got to give him his respect for that,” said the 37-year-old. “It’s very dangerous.”
He continued: “It’s a dangerous sport and you can’t overlook that. Joshua is a big boy and a powerhouse.
“I’ve sat ringside to watch Joshua, and that is a heavy-punching man. My opinion, the fight shouldn’t go ahead.”
Verdict: Joshua to win
Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz, another former UFC fighter and an ex-Paul opponent, said he has his “money on” the man who beat him two years ago.
"[Paul] might get knocked out, but if he don't [then] Paul is gonna win."
Diaz, 40, continued: "[Joshua] is an amazing fighter and one of the best heavyweights ever.
"[But] I just think with speed and footwork and being in a rhythm, I do not think [Joshua] can handle that and he does not like that because he is a little bit stiff. He does rely on his power.”
Verdict: Paul to win - unless he gets knocked out
Matt Brown
Former UFC fighter Matt Brown, meanwhile, accused people calling a Paul victory of a “cop out” prediction.
“It’s kind of a win-win situation,” he explained.
“If [Paul] goes out and beats [Joshua], you f*cking called it; you predicted it, you’re the man. If he doesn’t beat him, [you say] ‘you really think I thought that?’ I think it’s kind of the same thing with Conor [McGregor when he fought Floyd Mayweather]. If you’re wrong about it, nobody remembers, but if you make the prediction, everybody is going to remember it like ‘oh wow, you must be the fight expert!’”
Brown, 44, added: “You are not a fight expert for calling Jake Paul to win.
“You’re going against everything that a fight expert would ever take into account. There is zero reason whatsoever to believe Jake Paul has a chance against Anthony Joshua.
“Does that mean he can’t go out there and win? They’re throwing punches. Punches come fast and random things happen. Could Jake Paul go out there and wing a punch and Anthony Joshua be looking at some girl in the crowd? We don’t know. Joshua could sleep on the wrong side of the bed or have a s***** sleep the night before.”
Verdict: ‘Zero reason’ to believe Paul has a chance
Eddie Hearn
There’s little surprise that boxing promoter Eddie Hearn thinks Joshua will win this “crazy” bout.
He admitted: “We just couldn't turn it down. No boxer in their right mind would have said no. Anyone who says they would are completely lying through their teeth.
“We took a fight that we believe will be very straightforward, will give AJ a huge profile in America and one of his career-high paydays.”
Hearn continued: “We have a clear strategy in mind - to knock Jake out asap. Then we go into normal service being resumed in 2026.
“There's a method to this madness and taking this fight does not affect AJ's legacy. But losing to Jake or it even going the distance would. It would be an absolute disaster and awfully embarrassing.
“We're not going to see AJ run across the ring in the first few seconds and start windmilling. Just like he did against Francis Ngannou, he will go in there, measure him up and then go in with the heavy artillery.”
Verdict: Joshua to win (by knockout)
Teddy Atlas
Boxing trainer-turned-analyst Teddy Atlas has admitted that whilst Joshua is “expected to win” he isn’t “counting Paul out”.
“The former heavyweight champ is supposed to go and win by knockout - I understand all that, what people are thinking,” said the 69-year-old American.
“But I’ll tell you one thing... with all that, Joshua has been inactive. Joshua was destroyed in his last fight. We don’t know where he is mentally, we don’t know where he is physically.
“So we don’t know where [Joshua] is at, but we know Paul’s young, we know that he’s got legs. He’s got a jab. He moves. Who says he can’t get in there for eight rounds and motorcycle around?
“What is winning for him at this point? Going and knocking out Joshua, which would be unbelievable and unlikely, or doing something no one expects.
Atlas concluded: “Of course Joshua’s supposed to win, I’m not nuts, but it’s hard to completely dismiss [Paul] at this point because he’s picked his spots, he has been awfully smart and I don’t know that he would make that huge a mistake. I am not counting him out.”
Verdict: Don’t ‘count Paul out’
