Anthony Joshua, the former world champion in the heavyweight division, and American boxer and blogger Jake Paul are in the final stages of negotiations to hold their fight in December of this year. A source from The Guardian reports that the main terms of the deal have already been agreed upon, and an official statement from Netflix is expected on Monday. The bout is likely to take place on December 19 or 26 in Miami.
Initially, Jake Paul planned to fight Gervonta Davis on November 14, but the event was canceled due to legal charges against Davis, including allegations of violence and kidnapping. The Miami police launched an investigation, leading to the cancellation of the show organized by Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions.
After the fight's cancellation, Paul's team intensified the search for a new opponent, considering boxers such as Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford. As a result, negotiations with Anthony Joshua, who has not stepped into the ring since September 2024 after losing to Daniel Dubois, became more intense. Promoter Eddie Hearn had previously stated that Joshua plans to return to the ring by the end of 2025.
For Netflix, this fight represents a significant event within its sports content: the previous boxing tournament featuring Jake Paul, the fight with Mike Tyson, became the most popular sports event in the platform's history, garnering 65 million concurrent views and an average of 108 million viewers.
The final date of the fight will be announced early next week, and the bout will take place in Miami, becoming available to viewers worldwide.
