Eddie Hearn says he’s not planning for Anthony Joshua to fight someone else in December other than Jake Paul. The Matchroom promoter Hearn views Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) as unreliable because of the amount of money he’d be asking for to face the former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua.
Paul’s Financial Expectations
Hearn says he believes Jake will want at least $40 million to fight Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs), because he knows how “dangerous” the fight would be for him. Eddie says that former AJ knockout victim, Francis Ngannou, would “destroy” Paul. Hearn could be right. Ngannou came close to beating Tyson Fury in 2023, dropping him in a fight that was scored as a 10-round draw.
“For us, we’re planning to fight someone else other than Jake Paul just because we can’t rely on Jake accepting the fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to the Stomping Ground about Anthony Joshua’s next fight.
Turki’s Disinterest
For the money that Paul wants, it would be out of Hearn’s price range unless Turki Alalashikh takes an interest in the fight. He didn’t seem eager to put on a Canelo Alvarez vs. Jake Paul fight in February. Turki preferred that Canelo fight “Real fighters.” It’s unlikely that Turki has changed his mind about this subject. If he views Jake as a YouTuber, he’s not going to want to finance a fight between him and Joshua.
“The fight is huge. The more you talk about it, the more you realize how big it is, and if he [Jake Paul] wants to do it, we’ll do it. But we also have to plan our future, and AJ is looking to fight in December,” said Hearn.
Dangerous Joshua Fight
“No chance [$15 million to get Jake to agree]. No chance [$25 million]. You’re getting warmer,” said Hearn when asked if Paul will ask for $40 million to fight Anthony Joshua. “He’s got people around him that pump s*** into his head, saying he’s the second coming of Ali. He’s not an idiot. He knows the risks associated with this fight, and this fight is very dangerous.”
Hearn’s DAZN Needs
Could Hearn come up with the money on his own to put a fight together between AJ and Paul? He would need DAZN to chip in to help come up with the money Jake and Joshua would expect to be paid for this fight.
“We have to really consider that when we do this fight. But for the right amount of money for that viral moment, I think Jake will do it. He won’t do it. He’s not an idiot. He knows it’s dangerous. Look what happened to Francis Ngannou [knocked out in two rounds by AJ]. Francis Ngannou would destroy Jake Paul,” said Hearn.
Last Updated on 07/28/2025
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