Anthony Joshua has made it clear that he will not hold back against Jake Paul, stating that only a knockout will satisfy his desire for aggression.
The former heavyweight champion will face YouTuber Paul in what is expected to be an uneven match in Miami on December 19. Joshua stands to earn up to £70 million for what many view as a mere exhibition fight for the Olympic gold medalist.
Joshua, who will be trained by Oleksandr Usyk’s team for the bout, emphasized that only a swift victory will be acceptable. “Simply defeating him isn’t enough for me; I must knock him out,” he declared.
“I intend to inflict substantial damage on him physically and mentally. My goal is to demonstrate my superiority as a fighter and continue to do so for as long as I compete. I will go in there and execute my task. I aim to cause him harm; I want to truly hurt him inside the ring.”
“I will push forward and assert my dominance. I will land powerful punches and introduce him to certain boxing techniques he may not have encountered before. I will expose him to a different level of boxing that may be unfamiliar to him.”
Joshua also acknowledged Paul’s dedication to the sport, noting that Paul has had 13 professional fights since his debut in 2020. “Jake is a legitimate fighter. Consider this: when I first started boxing, I walked into the gym with my cousin, believing I could succeed; three years later, I competed in the Olympics,” Joshua reflected.
“He has been at this for five years. After three years, I was the underdog, with no one believing in me. You can never underestimate anyone.”
On the other hand, Paul expressed his willingness to go to extreme lengths to achieve what would be considered a monumental upset in boxing history. “No one ever envisioned this outcome when I first entered the boxing world,” he remarked.
“Nobody believes I can win, so add yourself to the list and be prepared to be surprised. I am confident in my power and timing. It’s the unexpected shots that make the difference, and I am a skilled knockout artist; he needs to be cautious. I predict a knockout in the fourth or fifth round. I am prepared to give my all to win this fight.”