Anthony Joshua noticed key thing in Jake Paul

Anthony Joshua disclosed that only one side of his contract to fight Jake Paul grabbed his consideration: the monetary compensation.

On Friday, Joshua — the two-time heavyweight champion — will tackle YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Paul in a extremely anticipated conflict. The bout marks the Brit’s first look in the ring since September 2024, when he misplaced the IBF heavyweight title to Daniel Dubois.

However, the controversial alternative to simply accept the Paul fight raised quite a few eyebrows across the boxing world. The 28-year-old was initially scheduled to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis last month, however those preparations fell via following home violence allegations against the latter, which he denies.

Joshua agreed to interchange Davis, stunning boxing followers and insiders alike. Many have questioned the legitimacy of the matchup, arguing that Joshua brings an excessive amount of skill, experience, and bodily dimension, contemplating that Paul has been pressured to maneuver as much as heavyweight to compete against his opponent.

There has been widespread hypothesis about the nature of the contract each fighters signed, with Deontay Wilder suggesting that the event is perhaps fastened to some diploma. However, during a press convention at The Fillmore Miami Beach on Wednesday, Joshua disclosed exactly what captured his curiosity when he obtained the provide from Most Valuable Promotions.

“We’re not worried about what opinions there are, whether it’s Wilder or [Tyson] Fury or whatever,” Joshua said with a smile. “The only thing in the contract that got my attention was the money. Other than that, I don’t worry about nothing else.”

When confronted with Wilder’s doubts about the bout, Paul hit again laborious, threatening authorized action. He fired again: “These people won’t stop lying, and I honestly take it as a compliment, but people need to shut the f— up. Deontay Wilder, he’s been hit a lot by Tyson Fury so he’s clearly not the smartest guy.

“There’s nothing in the contract — AJ can attest to it. We’re going to warfare, and that’s what all my fights have been like.”

Last November, Paul squared off against Mike Tyson in what grew to become the most-streamed worldwide sporting spectacle ever, pulling in an eye-watering 108 million Netflix viewers. The streaming platform is banking on related numbers when Paul, boasting a 12-1 document, steps into the ring with Joshua.

The Paul vs. Joshua showdown is scheduled for Friday.

Pre-fight coverage kicks off round 4:45 p.m. ET, with the headline fighters anticipated to make their ringwalks at roughly 10:30 p.m.