JAKE PAUL VS ANTHONY JOSHUA - FULL FIGHT PREVIEW

If you’d told us back in 2016 that in just over nine years’ time we’d be writing a preview about the newly crowned IBF World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua facing Disney star Jake Paul in a legitimate boxing fight, we’d probably have cried tears of laughter — hysterically.

However, this isn’t any normal sport. This is boxing, and in boxing, crazy sh*t happens — and in a world full of crazy sh*t, this may well be one of the craziest fights ever made in the sport.

So, let’s take a look back at both of their careers so far.

After going down the “influencer boxing” route to begin with, Disney star and internet sensation Jake Paul made boxing his full-time job — something he deserves a huge amount of credit for.

He faced criticism at first, having fought another influencer in Deji, before stepping up in professional contests against Ali Eson Gib, former basketballer Nate Robinson, and then former UFC and wrestling star Ben Askren — all three fights ending in early stoppage victories.

The moment people started to take Paul seriously was when he faced former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

He edged him out by split decision in their first contest before pulling off a stunning knockout in their rematch four months later.

Victory against another UFC legend in Anderson Silva followed before Paul suffered the first and only loss of his professional career to date, against Tommy Fury.

Since then, though, Paul has gone from strength to strength with wins over the likes of Nate Diaz, Mike Perry, Mike Tyson and Julio César Chávez Jr, which now sees him land a fight with the enormous figure that is Anthony Joshua.

It would probably be the understatement of the year to say that AJ has had a completely different journey in boxing compared to Paul.

An Olympic gold medallist back in 2012, Joshua has gone on to become one of the best heavyweight boxers of this generation.

With a record of 28 wins from 32 fights, including 25 stoppages, he has beaten the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin, Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz, just to name a few.

Opposition that is levels and levels — and LEVELS — above anyone Paul has faced.

Now, to the fight and how we see it going.

On paper, it is a complete and utter mismatch.

The fight should really end whenever Joshua wants it to.

One of the things Paul is taking confidence from — and has been extremely vocal about — is Joshua’s stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in his last fight.

Paul has claimed that AJ’s chin has gone, and he may well be right, but Joshua’s chin may have gone only against punchers as fearsome as Daniel Dubois — something Paul isn’t.

For Paul to win this fight, he needs to hope that Father Time has well and truly caught up with Joshua overnight. He needs to hope that the defeat to Dubois has damaged him physically and mentally.

Paul is going to need to frustrate AJ, somehow stay out of trouble, and either outbox him for eight rounds or pray that he can land the biggest punch he’s ever thrown flush on AJ’s chin — and even then, he’d still need Joshua’s chin to be gone for that punch to register.

For Joshua, as soon as he lands clean, it should be game over for Paul. It really is as simple as that.

As hard as it is to see a way for Paul to win, one thing we must do is give him all the credit in the world for taking this fight.

He has been criticised throughout his career for the level of opposition he has faced, but against AJ he’s fighting one of the best heavyweights in the world right now — when really, Paul is more of a natural cruiserweight.

Yes, for the money Paul is making, there’d probably be a fair queue of people willing to take a shot off AJ for that sort of coin; however, if this fight ends the way it probably should — with a highlight-reel knockout — Paul runs the very real risk of becoming a meme.

Something the internet, and the Paul haters, will absolutely feed off.

But again, if there’s one thing you can’t do, it’s criticise Paul for stepping up and doing what some established heavyweight boxers won’t even do themselves — and that’s face Joshua.

No matter how the fight goes on Friday night, here’s hoping and praying that both men leave the ring safe and sound with all their brain cells intact.

Don’t forget to head over to our partners Tenex Casino for the latest odds on the fight HERE.