Haye fears for Paul’s safety
David Haye says he is genuinely worried about Jake Paul’s life ahead of the eight-round fight against Anthony Joshua on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The former world champion insists the matchup should not happen and hopes paramedics will be standing close by.
Paul as a risk – for both men
Some analysts believe this fight could backfire on Joshua, as the younger, faster and more active Jake Paul might catch him by surprise. Haye completely disagrees. He believes the YouTuber-turned-boxer has no real chance. If Joshua traps the 28-year-old and unloads heavy shots, Haye expects an ugly ending. Considering the age gap and Joshua’s performance against Daniel Dubois on September 21, 2024, his concern seems justified. Joshua was in trouble from the opening minute, and Dubois is not considered an elite opponent.
Dubois is the only respectable fighter Joshua has faced in the last three years. Since the back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, Joshua has collected four wins – all against far weaker opponents: Francis Ngannou (KO 2, March 2024), Otto Wallin (stoppage in round 5, December 2023), Robert Helenius (KO 7, August 2023) and Jermaine Franklin (12-round decision, April 2023).
“If Jake Paul is stuck under Joshua’s punches, it could be over for him. It could be his last day on earth,” Haye said in an interview with Sky Sports Boxing.
Joshua’s fading form
Many fans have argued for years that Joshua was never the elite fighter he was marketed to be. The win over 40-year-old Wladimir Klitschko and the controversial Olympic gold in 2012 created a career that looked bigger than the performances behind it.
If Joshua really is an artificially manufactured star, as some believe, Jake Paul has a chance to expose him. Whatever Joshua once was, he is no longer that fighter at 36. His punch resistance looks shaky, and his confidence uncertain. Paul has enough power to stop Joshua just as Dubois did last year within five rounds. It could even happen faster because Paul is more athletic and less robotic.
“The fight shouldn’t happen. There’s no reason for it,” Haye said. “It’s going to be brutal. I hope they have good paramedics ready.”
Some wonder whether Haye feels a hint of envy, since he never got the chance to face Joshua in his own career – a mega-fight that would have been huge for him.
Why Joshua takes the fight anyway
With the kind of purse Eddie Hearn is suggesting – reportedly similar to the more than 80 million dollars Joshua earned for the Ruiz rematch in 2019 – it is no surprise he accepted.
