LONDON (AP) — Anthony Joshua losing to Jake Paul would be “an absolute disaster and awfully embarrassing,” the British fighter's promoter said Wednesday.
Writing in a column for the BBC, Eddie Hearn said it was “crazy” that Joshua — a former two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist — was getting in the ring with Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer who is facing easily his biggest challenge yet.
Yet Hearn said this is part of a strategy to reignite the 36-year-old Joshua's career, while also giving him “one of his career-high paydays” for an eight-round bout on Friday that will be shown on Netflix.
For Hearn, a loss for Joshua doesn't bear thinking about.
“AJ will fight against a world-class opponent in February and — if all goes well — he will then fight Tyson Fury,” Hearn wrote of a heavily trailed potential meeting with another former British heavyweight champion.
“So there’s a method to this madness and taking this fight (against Paul) does not affect AJ’s legacy. But losing to Jake or it even going the distance would. It would be an absolute disaster and awfully embarrassing.”
Hearn acknowledged that Joshua is “expected to walk through this guy” but predicts that he will take two or three rounds to size up Paul.
He also insisted the fight will not be scripted.
“Firstly, we’d be investigated by the FBI if it was,” he wrote. "It would be illegal. This is a professional contest and a sanctioned bout where people are betting on it.
“And do you think I would ever allow AJ to have a script with Jake? A script where we might lose or even hold him up and look bad? No way. We are not giving this guy an edge or a chance to say, ‘Told you I was better than AJ’ or ‘I won rounds.’ This would be catastrophic for AJ and we’re not going to risk that.”
The fight will take place at Kaseya Center in Miami.
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