Anthony Joshua losing to Jake Paul 'would be an absolute disaster,' promoter says

Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian discusses Jake Paul's legacy in boxing and the recent claims of the fight against Mike Tyson being rigged.

Anthony Joshua will go up against Jake Paul on Saturday night as the latest opponent for the spectacle that the YouTuber-turned-boxer has engineered in the sport.

Joshua has all the advantages going into the bout. He has the experience, the height, the weight and the reach over Paul. The British superstar has victories over Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz Jr. and Francis Ngannou in his career, while Paul has victories over Mike Tyson, Nate Diaz and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

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Anthony Joshua stands on stage during a face-off against Jake Paul at a news conference promoting their upcoming heavyweight boxing match, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Miami Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Those key stats are why Joshua losing to Paul would be "an absolute disaster and awfully embarrassing," according to boxing promoter Eddie Hearn.

Hearn expressed his opinion about the fight in a BBC column. He said it was "crazy" for Joshua to go up against Paul but acknowledged that it was part of a strategy to revitalize the two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist’s career.

"AJ will fight against a world-class opponent in February and — if all goes well — he will then fight Tyson Fury," Hearn wrote.

"So there’s a method to this madness and taking this fight (against Paul) 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."

Hearn also made clear that the fight was not scripted.

Jake Paul, left, and Anthony Joshua face off