Anthony Joshua is a heavy favorite to beat Jake Paul on Friday night, but a former world champion is backing the underdog with a four-figure bet to pull off a shock.
Miami’s Kaseya Center could yet enter boxing folklore if Paul engineers one of the sport’s most stunning upsets. A 13-fight novice with no amateur pedigree and no real victories, the YouTuber turned fighter attempts to unseat the 6-foot-6 former unified heavyweight champion.
Despite Joshua’s Olympic gold medal and multiple world titles, some industry figures are not ruling out the possibility of a Paul victory – one that could even hasten the end of AJ’s career.
2023 International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Tim Bradley revealed on social media that he is betting $5,000 on “The Problem Child” to win. In the UK, Paul is considered a 13/2 underdog, meaning a successful bet at these odds would return over $30,000.
Bradley, a former two-weight world champion and now an ESPN analyst, said his concerns were about Joshua’s motivation to fight.
“This guy [Joshua] is there just for the money. He said, “It’s all about the money.” That’s true – but the way you said it, the way you said it? This is a game for you.
“On the other hand, you have Jake Paul. He’s all in. He’s got one of the best strength and conditioning coaches, Larry Wade, by his side. I see what he’s doing – how he’s building his strength and power, his speed and his endurance. He’s going to be firing on all cylinders.”
Paul comes into the fight off the back of a points victory against an over-the-hill Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June. Joshua, meanwhile, has not fought in 15 months since he was stopped in five rounds by then-IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium – a performance which clearly left an impression on Bradley.
“I watched Joshua’s last fight against Dubois and I’m getting cold feet. I’m about to go five all in on Jake Paul. The odds are too crazy for me not to take that bet. This absolute right he has, this power he has – it’s no joke.”
Paul has stopped seven of his 12 professional opponents, but none of those victories have come against anything close to the caliber of opposition Joshua has faced since Paul turned professional in January 2020.
