Hearn on Jake and Joshua "Fixed" Allegations: "Paul May Never Box Again"

The head of Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn, has responded to allegations that the bout between his client, Anthony Joshua, and American Jake Paul was scripted.

“Even now, people are saying, ‘Oh yeah, that was definitely a fixed fight.’ Some guy commented on one of my posts today: ‘Yeah, that was definitely a setup.’ I reply: ‘Do you realize he broke his jaw in two places?’

He might never be able to box again. Almost no one is talking about that. People think it’s simple—you just get your jaw wired, a few screws put in, and off you go. But there have been many fighters who broke their jaw and never stepped foot in the ring again.

Everything was 100% real. There was no strategy, no deal, no script.

Anthony wanted to land a clean shot as early as possible. Unfortunately, the only time he truly landed clean was in the sixth round.

We didn't want this to happen to Jake. Ultimately, we wanted to win and end the fight, but those are the dangers he accepted and the risks he took in the ring. We hope he can recover,” Hearn said.

The knockout of Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) occurred in the 6th round. Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) broke his opponent's jaw in two places, requiring the YouTuber-turned-boxer to undergo surgery.