Fighters Weigh In Ahead of Clash Between Paul-Joshua

Fighters past and present have weighed in with their opinions ahead of the fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua on Friday night. 

The YouTuber-turned-fighter, Jake Paul, will fight former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua at Miami’s Kaseya Center, in a matchup that has split opinion across the combat sports world and captured the attention of a global audience who are ready to flock to the best sports betting sites.

Jake Paul goes into the fight as the big underdog, with odds of +700 according to DraftKings. While he has built a lucrative boxing career, most of his previous opponents came from other sports or the past of boxing. Joshua, by contrast, is a former Olympic gold medalist who has twice held unified world titles, the last time from 2019 to 2021. 

Losses against Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois have raised questions about Joshua’s position among the boxing elite, but he is still vastly more experienced and technically accomplished than Paul. That imbalance has left many observers wondering why Paul would take on such a dangerous challenge, even as his supporters argue that he has a puncher's chance. 

The bout has drawn reaction from various parts of the fight world, but most professionals are predicting a Joshua win. Given Joshua’s power and size, many pundits have expressed concern for Paul’s safety. Still, a small number have expressed belief in an upset, including former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who has argued that Joshua is in decline. 

Others have suggested that Joshua’s vulnerability to right hands could give Paul a narrow opening if he can land cleanly early. Joshua, however, remains widely viewed as the clear favorite.

Betting patterns signal belief in an upset

While the experts may lean heavily toward Joshua, the betting patterns at some of the best sports betting apps tell a different story. According to bet365, the majority of individual bets have been placed on Paul to land a shock victory, perhaps tempted by the long odds. 

That may not reflect Paul’s true chances so much as the appeal of a high-risk, high-reward wager. Defeat would be a huge problem for the Joshua camp. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, is on record stating the importance of a decisive win.  

Some betting insiders also caution against reading too much into the betting markets. Speaking about the weight of support for the underdog, Steve Freeth of bet365 said there is often plenty of money for outsiders in unusual fights like this. 

While individual bettors may be backing the outsider in the winner’s market, the round-by-round betting suggests they are expecting a quick finish, with most of the money going on an early-round stoppage, reflecting the view of most boxing professionals that the contest may not last long.