Tyson Fury backs Jake Paul to ‘knock out' old foe Anthony Joshua
Fury, 36, announced his retirement from boxing in January after losing back-to-back bouts to the WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion Usyk, who could regain undisputed status when he takes on IBF holder Dubois at Wembley this Saturday.
However, the two-time champion has all but confirmed his return to the ring for 2026 six months on - reigniting talk that he could finally share the ring in a 'Battle of Britain' with long-touted rival Joshua.
Joshua, 35, has also been pegged for a clash with Paul in recent weeks, with 'The Problem Child' most recently coming off a decision victory over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Fury was asked if a meeting with Paul would be a suitable 'tune-up' for Joshua ahead of a potential British super-fight.
"I don't know about tune-ups, I think Jake Paul knocks him out,' he replied, speaking to Ring Magazine.
'I just think Jake Paul would knock AJ out. I think AJ is a spent force, and Jake Paul is on the rise. I like his new heavyweight look - bit chubby, bit bulky. [He's] getting there."
It would not be Paul's first time fighting a former world heavyweight champion, given he boxed a 58-year-old Mike Tyson – and won on points – in November.
'AJ', however, is a different prospect altogether, even coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September.
Joshua recently underwent surgery due to an elbow injury and, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn, may have further physical issues to address.
But Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi adviser behind the Gulf nation's aggressive entry into boxing in recent years, has now addressed a potential clash between Joshua, 35, and Paul, 28.
'Me and [Jake Paul] are thinking [about] doing him against Anthony Joshua now,' Alalshikh told Ring Magazine, a magazine that he owns.
'If Joshua destroys him, it will be good for me; the headache of Jake Paul is finished. If Jake wins, I will know Joshua is finished and Jake deserves a ranking and a future in boxing. Jake accepted it, next week I will talk with Joshua about it.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight purse predicted as heavyweight showdown edges closer
Anthony Joshua could take on Jake Paul in a stunning boxing match next year with a reported purse predicted - and the potential figure is quite simply staggering A sports finance expert has predicted a whopping $40million (£30m) payday from a possible clash between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul. Paul has been vocal in recent months about stepping into the ring with the two-time heavyweight champ. After his victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, the 'Problem Child' once again called for a fight with the Brit, and he was spotted ringside at Daniel Dubois ' recent heavyweight clash with Oleksandr Usyk. "Yeah 100 per cent it's going to happen. We're going to do the unthinkable and create one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing," Paul said ahead of Usyk's fight with Dubois. "It's not even about it being realistic or not, it's going to happen so fasten your seatbelts. And when I knock him out I'll go down in the history books forever." With the fight seemingly in the pipeline, fans across the globe are buzzing with anticipation over how the clash would unfold. Sports finance expert Rob Wilson has chimed in, predicting that Joshua and Paul could pocket a cool $40m (£30m) should the fight go ahead. In an interview with OLBG, Wilson said: "Anthony Joshua is very contemporary, but not as historically relevant as Mike Tyson, so I think that will go against him. He's obviously not had the best performances either over the last couple of years, so that fan engagement has probably waned to a certain extent. But then you bring in a whole new audience of people with Jake Paul," reports All Out Fighting. "He is, to be fair, showing himself as a technically decent fighter. He's not in the kind of upper echelons of world heavyweight boxing, he knows how to handle himself in the ring. So it would be a decent spectacle. He's a contemporary boxer and the fact that he's been fighting these kinds of these older generational athletes and winning is one thing, whether he can mix it up with somebody like AJ is a completely different thing. I think the pay-per-view stuff will be really interesting. If the pay-per-view sells well then you could be talking upwards of $40million. So you could double what they took on the Tyson fight, probably do it at Wembley. "So gate revenue will be good, the global exposure, marketing media rights, that will be good. So yeah, we could, I don't think it'd be beyond the realm of possibility for each fighter to generate 40ish million dollars from that fight. The access that Paul has to that 16 to 24 year old age bracket, the social media influencer side of things is really interesting. So it would be a massive fight in terms of British boxing." Eddie Hearn has shockingly revealed that a bout between Paul and Joshua could be on the cards for next year, despite initial scepticism, after the internet sensation agreed to a shocking one per cent of the fight purse. "Don't ask me how. Don't ask me why," Hearn remarked. "But if people want Anthony Joshua to evaporate the career of Jake Paul in one night, maybe we make it happen." Hearn continued: "You know, obviously it'll be up to AJ and myself what AJ does, and [Most Valuable Promotions CEO] Nakisa [Bidarian] and Jake, what they do – but also the power of Turki Alalshikh bringing it together, making it a mega-event. We're up for it. You know, it's not a fight we targeted. It's not a fight we anticipated. But as I said, if it's there and it's open and it's a running-up fight before Tyson Fury, why not? It probably breaks the internet. It breaks the platform. It probably delivers the biggest numbers of any fight we've ever seen, and that's the crazy world we live in. For me, I don't expect it to be competitive, but do you want to see Jake Paul flattened? There you go. It's on a plate right in front of you." When is Anthony Joshua's next fight? Joshua is expected to return to the ring later this year. Hearn has recently indicated that 'AJ' is eager to move forward with his career after a prolonged chase for a clash with Tyson Fury, yet he still harbours hopes of a definitive showdown with the 'Gypsy King' before retiring. Hearn has shared an update on Anthony Joshua's condition with Sky Sports, confirming: "Yeah, good, he had that operation recently... that elbow surgery, which went very well. You will see him return in October, November or December."
South Wales Guardian
9 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Neville urging fans of EFL clubs to back local small businesses
Neville has teamed up with Sage, Official Accounting Software Partner of the EFL, on a new UK-wide campaign to champion local businesses, with fans across all 72 EFL clubs invited to nominate the matchday heroes in their community. Three winning businesses will have the chance to win bespoke club partnerships with the aim to gain exposure and drive growth. Additional finalists will receive business grants from Sage and promotional opportunities at EFL matches. 'Local businesses thrive on matchdays,' Neville said. 'Small businesses know how important football clubs are and clubs know fans need hospitality and service on those days. They need the local businesses to still be there to support the fanbase. 'A football club can never forget where it has come from, that is one of my constant messages. It needs to be the beating heart of a community and sit there to help people, support people, be the release, the energy, the life, the laugh. 'There are very few things in life that make your veins pop out like when your team score a goal or make you as angry as when your team lose. 'That emotion and feeling is absolutely critical.' Neville, who represented Manchester United on 602 occasions between 1992 and 2011, has since turned his hand to various entrepreneurial enterprises alongside his award-winning punditry with Sky Sports. He co-owns League Two outfit Salford City with some of his 'Class of 92' teammates and has a lifelong insight into how crucial football clubs are to their surrounding small businesses, and vice-versa. 'Growing up in Bury, being an owner of Salford and supporting (Manchester) United, I have seen the importance of football to local towns, cities, communities and local businesses at all levels,' he said. 'Manchester United not being in Europe this year has a massive impact on the city of Manchester. Manchester United doing well and City doing well has a huge impact on the city. It's the same with Salford, the same with Bury. 'Football clubs are not just important economically, they are important for the spirit in the city, the feeling of energy. 'That can largely be defined sometimes by how the football team is doing. It has such an impact on the local community.' The 85-cap England international is working with Sage to spotlight the vital role of small businesses in the EFL ecosystem, a partnership he is delighted to be a part of. 'It's hard work setting up a small business,' he added. 'Everyone does it with great enthusiasm and passion, I've done it myself here in Manchester, but you need systems, you need processes, I call it a defence. 'The nuts and bolts is making sure your defence is looked after and you're not conceding goals. 'Small businesses need that more than ever in what is a challenging time to operate and Sage do great work helping with that.' Gary Neville is encouraging fans to celebrate the businesses behind the badge on behalf of Sage, the Official Accounting Software Partner of the EFL. To nominate your local business hero and a chance to win VIP hospitality tickets, visit
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside Anthony Joshua's wild Mykonos getaway, from quad biking to rapping and being swarmed by fans
Eddie Hearn has earmarked his next opponent Heavy-hitting hols Inside Anthony Joshua's wild Mykonos getaway, from quad biking to rapping and being swarmed by fans Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ANTHONY JOSHUA has enjoyed a crazy summer getaway to Mykonos. The former two-time boxing world champion has been out of the ring since losing to Daniel Dubois in an IBF heavyweight belt title clash at Wembley last September. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Anthony Joshua shared his break to Mykonos with fans on Instagram Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua 7 AJ was seen on a quad bike during the trip Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua 7 He shared a video of him speeding along a road on it Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua 7 The Watford boxer also shared a photo of himself in leopard-pattern shorts Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua 7 The 35-year-old was seen greeting fans during his stay on the Greek island Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua 7 He cut some shapes as a man with a guitar walked with him down the road Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua 7 AJ was finally seen singing in a nightclub Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua Since then, AJ has undergone surgery on his elbow - as first revealed by SunSport in May - before giving fans an update on his recovery a couple of weeks later. Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed he is now in talks for a fight which could be held in November or December, earmarking Jake Paul as one potential opponent. But before that, the Watford Olympic gold medallist has been enjoying a summer getaway in Greece. Joshua, 35, shared some photos and videos of his trip to the popular holiday destination of Mykonos. READ MORE IN BOXING NO JOSHING Saudi boxing chief confirms AJ-Paul as fans predict 'biggest fight of our lives' He started out by sharing a picture of himself in a nice shirt. But then revealed some of the more exciting parts of his trip. The next picture showed Joshua sitting on a quad bike which was followed by a video of him driving along a road. AJ then shared a topless photo of himself sitting down while wearing leopard-pattern shorts. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK However, the famous boxer could not totally escape the fanfare of his life in the limelight, and he was seen greeting and taking photos with fans. He was also seen dancing as a man with a guitar played and sang a song while walking down a street. Jake Paul CONFIRMS Anthony Joshua fight and vows to 'shock the world' with huge boxing upset AJ swapped the streets for a nightclub as he was seen grabbing a microphone to sing and dance for a group of partygoers. Joshua has 16.5 million followers on Instagram.
