Jake Paul is the frontrunner to fight Anthony Joshua in early 2026, according to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.
Hearn believes the potential fight between Paul and Joshua would be commercially successful, breaking records for the sport.
Paul is coming off a win against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., while Joshua suffered a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024.
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, a real possibility? Very much so, says Joshua’s longtime promoter, Eddie Hearn.
‘This bizarre world we live in, I think Jake Paul is absolutely the frontrunner to fight Anthony Joshua next,’ Hearn told Sky Sports, adding that, ‘I truly believe that you’re going to see it at the beginning of 2026.’
Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) would be facing the biggest challenge in his boxing career against Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs).
Though Joshua’s career is on the decline, he still was the unified heavyweight champion in 2016 and 2021. And at 6-6, Joshua would have a substantial size advantage over the 6-1 Paul.
‘I think it’s wildly dangerous,’ Hearn told TMZ Sports. ‘I mean, Jake Paul is a madman.’
Hearn said he was in New York for talks with Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian and of the possible matchup between the 28-year-old Paul and 35-year-old Joshua said, ‘commercially this fight breaks all kinds of records. … This is going to do the biggest numbers probably than we’ve ever seen in the sport.’
Paul is coming off of a victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision. Joshua is coming off of a fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.