Should Anthony Joshua go ahead with his planned December bout against Jake Paul, it would only confirm what we have all probably known for some time – that his actual boxing career is over.
Joshua, 36, has not been seen in the ring since arguably his worst ever performance against Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
His fifth-round knockout defeat at Wembley Stadium came after a long and meticulous rebuild following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk – so it’s little wonder he lacks the desire to pick up the pieces once again and seek a third reign as heavyweight champion.
But to veer from the elite of prizefighting straight into the realm of the absurd will be deemed an act of treachery in boxing circles. Joshua has and will continue to lose a lot of respect should this go ahead.
It’s important to sound that note of caution, as this is an endeavour so irresponsible it is difficult to believe until seen with your own eyes.
You need only revisit Joshua's demolition of the former UFC champion Francis Ngannou to understand just how dangerous it is to let him loose on an ill-equipped opponent.
Therefore the possibility must also exist that it won’t be a real fight, with Joshua becoming a willing participant in a choreographed exhibition.
Yet as it stands, that is just conjecture. Both men will tell you this is indeed a real fight. December 19, eight three-minute rounds, live on Netflix.
“Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers,” was Joshua’s rebuttal as part of Monday’s announcement – and there will be those who defend his position.
A former two-time champion and London 2012 gold medallist, Joshua’s emergence resuscitated a moribund heavyweight division.
Once the most coveted prize in all of sport, the title had become a faded trinket in the hands of the Klitschko brothers, fought for to little or no acclaim in the German provinces.
The arrival of Joshua and Tyson Fury altered the landscape, and their respective victories over Wladimir Klitschko ushered in a new era.
Joshua’s star power brought back the stadium fights and the mega events – he carried boxing, especially in Britain, on his back.
His inability to secure a fight with Fury has left him in limbo, but few could have predicted such a fall from grace.
He will argue that his achievements mean he has earned the right to cash out in such a manner. Conversely, that is why it feels like such a betrayal.
It is not the job of the fans to count his millions and defend him. Although if it were, they might note he is already an extravagantly rich man with generational wealth and a London property portfolio the envy of oligarchs everywhere.
The fact that the man Joshua is replacing as Paul’s opponent is Gervonta Davis – a career lightweight who weighs a little more than 60 kilograms – illustrates perfectly what a circus this is.
As for Paul, the internet celebrity turned combat athlete, you have to give him his due – he has an innate ability to judge exactly what audiences desire and how to give it to them.
In his case, that seems to be that he places himself directly in the path of the maximum level of violence permissible by law - and that is what he shall receive should he step in the ring with Joshua. Paul says Joshua is “weak around the chin” – he should get a good look at it when laid flat on his back.
British tabloid The Mirror once bought advertising on the soles of Julius Francis’s boots ahead of his fight against Mike Tyson.
Perhaps that’s another revenue stream Paul could explore? It's one he could take straight to the bank – if, and it must be stressed, if, this is a real fight.
