Eddie Hearn has told Sky Sports Anthony Joshua’s proposed fight with Jake Paul will not be an exhibition and instead will be a heavyweight contest under Queensberry rules.
Speaking to Sky Sports on Thursday, Hearn revealed nothing is confirmed yet regarding the fight but it is in the works.
“No, not an exhibition. We’re not interested in exhibitions. It’s a real fight,” Hearn said.
“There’s stuff to be resolved and discussed. It would be a real fight with Queensberry rules, 10-ounce gloves. The rounds would be agreed. The weight, I mean, we may come down to a number that’s more suited for Jake, if that is even a thing.
“It’s a heavyweight fight. There was a bit of a jumping of the gun from the media last night.
“It’s a cruiserweight moving up to heavyweight. We were going to have an eight-round fight this year, on an undercard somewhere.
“We didn’t expect that to be against Jake Paul, but it just so happens that if it is, it’s for 50 times more money than we were going to fight for.
“I think if there is any chance of that fight happening next week, you’ll probably hear about it. It’s not done, despite rumours. We have had an approach from MVP [Most Valuable Promotions]. I have my doubts.
“I mean, if he would be crazy enough to entertain that, we would be willing to oblige, in all honesty.
“I think it would be virtually impossible for the levels of money involved to turn down the opportunity to be in that fight. But, like I said, nothing confirmed yet, and we’ll see what happens.”
Hearn also revealed a mega British bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury next year is still the ambition, regardless of whether a clash vs Paul comes to fruition.
“Our plan is really cemented with Turki Al-Sheikh for 2026. And that’s a big fight in February, and then Tyson Fury.
Joshua still has eyes on an eventual matchup with fellow Brit Tyson Fury, says Hearn
“That’s what is being discussed. That’s what he’s telling us he’s going to make happen. We’ll leave that to him.
“So if we do run out, and just wipe out Jake Paul before Christmas, and make I don’t know, £50m or £60m, sweet as a nut. If not, we won’t do it, and we’ll wait until February. But, you know, I think some people get on their high horse.
“The best thing to be in this situation is just purely honest. We ain’t turning this down. For that type of money to go out there and have a little run out, no problem at all.
“The serious stuff, the world championship aspirations that we have, the fight with Tyson Fury, that is very much the focus of what we’re doing. But this would be something small in between.”
‘Paul and his team are crazy enough to believe they could win and AJ is shot’
Regarding Paul and his team, Hearn believes they think Joshua is in a position to be beaten, something the promoter says would be a big mistake.
“If you want to fight, we’re having a fight. I’m not interested in an exhibition for AJ,” he said.
“If you want to step up to heavyweight and you’re that crazy to do it, Mr. Paul, you talk a good game. And by the way, if he does it, he’s a brave man.
Hearn says nothing is yet confirmed with Paul regarding a potential fight
“Now you’re going to another stratosphere. We’re just as likely to wake up tomorrow morning and see Jake Paul’s fighting someone else. And we were just a pawn in the whole media circus around Jake Paul.
“But I actually think, crazily, there are people in his team and even Jake Paul that believe they can win this fight. They believe that Anthony Joshua is shot. They believe he’s been inactive for a year and a half.
“You can quite easily talk yourself into thinking you’ve got a chance. For me, no chance. But who knows?”
Bellew discusses AJ vs Paul | ‘If it happens, it will last as long as Joshua wants it to’
Tony Bellew to Sky Sports on Thursday:
“No I can’t [imagine AJ vs Paul fight happening], just to answer that brutally and honestly.
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Tony Bellew doubts the rumoured fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will happen but if it does, AJ will be the overwhelming favourite
“He [Paul] was supposed to be fighting Gervonta Davis last week. You’ve gone from Gervonta Davis, who was I think six inches shorter than you and five stone lighter than you, to a man [Joshua] who’s now probably about four to five inches taller than you and a good hundred pounds heavier than you.
“So, from one drastic measure to another, I don’t believe it.
“Gervonta Davis would have knocked him out. If Gervonta Davis was allowed to put on ten-ounce gloves or eight-ounce gloves, which he should have been allowed to wear, he’d have cleaned Jake Paul out.
“If Anthony Joshua gets in a boxing ring with ten-ounce gloves on and Jake Paul is on the other side of the ring, this will last as long as Anthony Joshua wants it to last.
“They’ll be paying enough. A certain commission and a certain body will sanction anything if they’re paid enough.”
