Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul clashed in heated exchanges at their final press conference ahead of their heavyweight fight at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Saturday. The two fighters squared off in a tense stare-down, with Joshua claiming he is “carrying boxing on my back.”
Joshua, returning to the ring for the first time since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2025, stressed that this fight is about proving himself, not the payday. “With this one, it feels like I’m being pulled in to save the purists of boxing because people don’t like that I’m fighting Jake,” he said. “That’s why I carry boxing on my back with this fight.”
Jake Paul, the YouTube star turned professional boxer, defended his role in the sport. “No one has done more for the sport of boxing in the last decade than myself,” Paul said. “I think I’m more important for boxing, so if they cared about the sport, they would want me to win.”
The fight’s outcome could affect Joshua’s future, including a potential bout with Tyson Fury next summer. Promoter Frank Warren warned that a loss to Paul could derail those plans. “If he can’t beat Jake Paul, we shouldn’t even be talking about him fighting Tyson Fury,” Warren told Sky Sports.
At 36, Joshua admitted he needed a break after the Dubois defeat. “I had to look at the reasons why I lost… I probably needed a year out of the game,” he said on YouTube.
Despite the tension, both fighters are focused on their upcoming clash, which has generated global attention and anticipation.