Promoter: “If Joshua loses, the entire boxing world should resign”

Ukrainian promoter Oleksandr Krassyuk shared his expectations for the fight between influencer-boxer Jake Paul and former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.

– You’ve already said this fight is extremely lucrative for both boxers from a financial point of view. This matchup is a show. Can it still be interesting purely from a sporting standpoint?

– As of today, this fight is a show for everyone involved – the participants, the organizers, the fans. However, after the first bell it will turn into a harsh reality for one of them. A few minutes of physical suffering for Jake Paul are justified by the media and commercial impact of the event. And Joshua will also feel that impact – in a positive way.

– Eddie Hearn said: “If Joshua loses, both he and I will retire.” Is that also just part of the hype around the fight?

– If Joshua loses, then the entire world boxing community should resign (laughs). I don’t think it’s hype.

– Obviously Joshua is the favorite, right? Can Paul pull off the upset? What is your prediction for this fight? Should we expect a knockout?

– Never say never. But we are experts and we have to rely on common sense and real probabilities. So if we’re looking at possible outcomes, I’d be taking bets on whether the fight ends in the first round and on what second it ends. With all due respect to Jake’s fighting spirit and character, Joshua is an Olympic champion and a multiple-time world champion in the pros. And Francis Ngannou would be the best piece of evidence to support that position.

– Which fight from the Joshua–Paul undercard would you recommend watching and why?

– I would recommend rewatching Danylo Lapin’s fight, but unfortunately he’s not on this card. Everything else is just light entertainment (laughs).

The bout between Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) and Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) will take place on the night of December 19–20 in Miami, USA, and will be broadcast on Netflix as part of the standard subscription. The start time for different regions can be found at the link.