British-Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua has issued a warning to American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul following a taunt about his past knockout defeats.
Paul, 28, revealed in a recent interview with The Sun that he and the former two-time heavyweight champion had exchanged private messages earlier this year, during which he mocked Joshua over his knockout losses. But Joshua wasn’t amused — and sent a sharp response.
According to Paul, the last message he received from Joshua had a serious tone.
“He said, ‘I can’t wait to fight. You’re gonna be fighting for your life and you’ll know the feeling that I’ve gone through.’ Or something like that,” Paul told SunSport, adding that it was the last time he heard from Joshua.
The tension has sparked speculation about a potential clash between the two fighters, with Paul expressing interest in facing Joshua in front of a loud British crowd.
“My first fight was in front of an English crowd and it’s rowdy,” Paul said. “I love walking into the lions’ den and so me versus Anthony Joshua, 100,000 people chanting ‘f*** Jake Paul’ would be pretty fun for me.”
Joshua, who hasn’t fought since suffering a knockout loss to fellow Brit Daniel Dubois in September, is currently recovering from elbow surgery. Despite his time away from the ring, he remains a major figure in the heavyweight division.
Meanwhile, Paul continues to blur the lines between entertainment and boxing. His recent exhibition fight with Mike Tyson was viewed by over 100 million people on Netflix, though it was criticised due to Tyson’s age.
Returning to the ring on Sunday, Paul defeated former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a dominant points win and has his sights set on climbing higher.
“I think it’s back to the drawing board after this, especially depending on what the WBC and WBA rank me after I win,” Paul said.
“If they rank me in the position where I can go for a world championship, then we’re gonna try and get that done.”
