Anthony Joshua set to face Jake Paul in December heavyweight bout | Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are finalizing a deal to meet in a heavyweight fight in Miami in December, sources have told the Guardian, with Netflix preparing to announce the fight on Monday. A source close to the negotiations said the deal was done and the fight would take place on December 19 or 26.
Paul was originally scheduled to fight Gervonta Davis on November 14 at the Kaseya Center, but the event was canceled after Davis was removed from the card amid domestic violence allegations. Davis’ former partner, Courtney Rossel, filed a civil suit in Miami-Dade County, accusing the lightweight champion of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Miami Gardens police confirmed they are investigating the alleged incident, which Rossel said happened at the strip club where she works. She obtained a restraining order shortly after.
Most Valuable Promotions, Paul’s company and Netflix dropped the series shortly after the lawsuit became public. “Our team has worked closely with all parties to handle this situation responsibly,” Nakisa Bidarian, MVP’s chief executive, said at the time. “Even if we do not move forward with this event, our plan remains for Jake Paul to headline an event on Netflix in 2025.”
Paul responded by publicly lambasting Davis on
After Davis withdrew, Paul’s team explored other opponents, including Ryan Garcia and undisputed super middleweight champion Terence Crawford. Discussions then accelerated with Joshua, the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, who has not fought since being stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had said the 36-year-old hoped to return before the end of the year, with early 2026 also possible. A December fight with Paul would mark Joshua’s first appearance in more than 15 months and give Netflix, whose boxing broadcasts have included Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson and Crawford’s showdown with Canelo Álvarez, a marquee replacement for the scrapped Davis fight.
A source familiar with the matter said Netflix hoped to set the exact date before Monday’s announcement. The fight is expected to take place in Miami and be broadcast globally on the platform.
Netflix’s first boxing show – Paul’s fight with Tyson – became the most streamed sporting event in history, peaking at 65 million live simulcasts and attracting an average of 108 million live viewers worldwide, the company said in a press release. The show accounted for 56% of all U.S. viewers during the fight’s main event hour and was the platform’s No. 1 title that week in 78 countries.
