In the wild, unpredictable theater of modern boxing, rumors are the currency, and the latest buzz sounds more like a video game matchup than a legitimate prize fight: Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul. The internet went into a frenzy with reports that a deal was nearly done. A two-time unified heavyweight champion of the world stepping into the ring with a YouTuber-turned-boxer? It feels like a dream, a headline cooked up in a lab to break the internet.

But then, the puppet master of British boxing, Eddie Hearn, stepped in to pour some cold water on the fire, while leaving just enough embers glowing to keep things interesting.

Hearn Pumps the Brakes, But Doesn’t Kill the Vibe

Let’s be clear: According to Hearn, nothing is signed. “Everyone jumped the gun,” he told BBC 5 Live. But in the same breath, he admitted there have been “some conversations.” And that’s where the intrigue lies. This isn’t an outright denial; it’s a promoter keeping his options open.

You can almost hear the gears turning in Hearn’s head. Joshua hasn’t fought since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last year, a brutal night that sent shockwaves through the heavyweight division. He needs a return, a way to shake off the ring rust after a 14-month layoff. So, why not a low-risk, high-reward spectacle? “If that is going to go and destroy the run of Mr. Paul and make tens of millions in the process, maybe,” Hearn mused. It’s a statement drenched in classic promoter-speak, framing a potential mismatch as a righteous crusade to end the “Problem Child’s” run, all while acknowledging the mountain of cash it would generate.

The financial incentive is undeniable. Paul, for all the criticism from boxing purists, knows how to get views. He brings an audience that the traditional boxing world has desperately tried, and often failed, to capture. For Joshua, it’s a chance to bank an astronomical payday for what should be, on paper, little more than a heavy bag session with a pulse.

What Would a Paul vs. Joshua Fight Even Look Like?

The physical disparities are staggering. Paul typically fights around the 200-pound cruiserweight limit. Joshua’s last fighting weight was 256 pounds. That’s a 56-pound difference. Add in Joshua’s height, reach, and pedigree as an Olympic gold medalist and world champion, and the mismatch becomes almost comical.

Yet, this is where the conversation gets weirdly fascinating. Hearn has been adamant: this would be no exhibition. “No exhibitions,” he stated firmly. “It’s a real fight.” This isn’t Mike Tyson vs. Paul with bigger gloves and shorter rounds. This would be a professionally sanctioned heavyweight bout.

The very idea is a gut punch to the sport’s traditionalists. But it also speaks volumes about where boxing is today. The lines between sport and entertainment have been blurred into nonexistence. It’s a world where a social media influencer can talk his way into a fight with a heavyweight legend, and the boxing establishment has to at least listen because of the eye-watering sums involved. Paul knows this. His advisor, Nakisa Bidarian, has been open about their ambitions, calling the Joshua fight one that Paul “unequivocally wants.”

The Real Prize: Is Fury Still the End Game?

While the Paul circus generates clicks and cash, the real ghost haunting Joshua’s career is Tyson Fury. The all-British mega-fight has been the one that got away for years. Now, with the powerful backing of Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh, it feels closer than ever.

Hearn revealed that Alalshikh has a clear roadmap for Joshua: a tune-up fight in February 2025, followed by the long-awaited showdown with Fury in the summer. “What I can tell you is Turki Alalshikh has told us, ‘I am going to make AJ v Tyson Fury,'” Hearn confirmed. “We have accepted.”

The problem? Fury himself seems completely uninterested. “You could offer me 1 billion today and it wouldn’t move the needle,” Fury recently claimed, insisting he’s happily retired. It’s classic Fury—is he playing hard to get, or has he truly walked away? With him, you never know.

This is the tightrope Hearn and Joshua are walking. They must stay active and relevant while waiting for the Fury domino to fall. A fight against Paul, as bizarre as it sounds, serves that purpose. It keeps Joshua’s name in the headlines, generates a massive payday, and carries almost zero risk of derailing the grand plan. It’s a placeholder, but a placeholder that could sell out a stadium.

So, is Joshua vs. Paul a disgrace to boxing or a genius business move? The truth is, it’s probably both. It’s a reflection of a sport in transition, caught between its proud history and a future driven by clicks, celebrity, and cold, hard cash. Whether the fight happens or not, the fact that we’re even having this conversation says everything about the state of the heavyweight game.