British-Nigerian heavyweight Anthony Joshua has been warned that his dream of facing Tyson Fury could be shattered if he fails to defeat Jake Paul in December. The stark warning comes from his promoter, Frank Warren, ahead of Joshua’s highly anticipated return to the ring.
Joshua is set to face Paul on December 19, a matchup seen by many as risky due to both fighters’ styles and the stakes involved. According to Warren, the former two-time heavyweight champion cannot afford any slip-ups.
“If he doesn’t beat Jake Paul, then forget about fighting Tyson, that just is never gonna happen, is it?” Warren told SunSport.
Warren stressed that Joshua’s performance will be closely scrutinised, especially after his brutal loss to Daniel Dubois last year. In that fight, Joshua was knocked down multiple times at Wembley before the contest was stopped in the fifth round, marking one of the toughest nights of his career.
“It’s how he beats him, if he beats him. And the thing about AJ, he’s coming off a significant loss. Five or six times he was on the floor in that fight. It was a tough, tough fight for him,” Warren added.
Despite the setback, plans are still in place for Joshua to fight in Riyadh in February, with a potential clash against Fury in September remaining a long-term goal outlined by Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
For now, Warren insists Joshua’s focus must be on Paul:
“AJ just needs to come through that fight if that fight’s to take place.”
Although Joshua is widely seen as the favourite, Warren acknowledged Paul’s progress and the threat he poses:
“Jake Paul’s been accused in the past of picking easy opponents, but he’s a professional boxer, he trains hard, and he works hard. This is a massive step up for him.”
Warren highlighted the scale of the challenge:
“He’s a cruiserweight going up against a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist who hits hard. It’s a tough ask, but it’s going to do huge business. Jake is a big name in America with a phenomenal following.”
