BIRMINGHAM, England – Eddie Hearn has revealed the original plan for Anthony Joshua’s return after a year-long absence.
The former two-time heavyweight champion has not fought since his 5th round knockout defeat to then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois in September of last year. Joshua was in talks to face Dubois in an immediate rematch, but an elbow injury halted those plans. Dubois eventually went on to face prior adversary Oleksandr Usyk in July, suffering a stoppage in a failed bid to become undisputed.
There had been murmurs that Joshua, still one of the sport’s biggest stars, was due to return in an eight-round run-out this year. The plan was to shake off rust before he pushed towards a clash with long-time rival Tyson Fury in 2026.
Then the unexpected news dropped earlier this month that Joshua, 28-4 (25 KOs), would instead face YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul on December 19 over eight rounds.
Joshua’s long-time promoter Hearn revealed the original plan was for the 35-year-old to take on American heavyweight Cassius Chaney, 24-3 (17 KOs), but the Paul showdown scampered pans.
“I mean, we had agreed a deal. We hadn't signed a contract, but we'd agreed a deal with Cassius Chaney," Hearn told BoxingScene. “We were going to fight last week in Riyadh [on the Ring IV ‘Night of Champions’ card]. None of you lot [the media] were going to know about it. We were going to turn up on Friday, Saturday, and we were going to get out the car and go and do eight rounds with Cassius Chaney.
“Now we're doing eight rounds with Jake Paul, but for 50 times more money. So, the business is good, and I think Chaney would have been a slightly tougher fighter. He's a decent fighter, but he's only a Top 100 guy on BoxRec [at heavyweight], and Jake Paul's top 50 at cruiserweight. So, it is what it is. It's a massive opportunity for us. We received an offer we accepted, and we're ready to go. It's a short camp, and obviously AJ's got to make weight, which is something new, but he's in great shape, excited, and ready to do a job. He's preparing for Jake Paul like it was any top world-class heavyweight contender.”
With Joshua fighting Paul on just six weeks’ notice and agreeing to a 245lbs weight stipulation, some could worry that the former heavyweight champion is underestimating the self-acclaimed “Problem Child”.
Is there a chance Joshua could be overlooking Paul, much like his rival Fury overlooked boxing debutante Francis Ngannou?
“No, I mean, AJ's just not like that,” said Hearn. “Yes, the camp would end up being, what, six weeks, seven weeks? Normally, you'd want, I don't know, eight to ten for a tough opponent, but it is Jake Paul. So, as I said, with the weight, that's not easy either. It won't be a problem, but we can't expect no... I mean, it's just too good to be true.
So, the reality is, if they would have asked us to ring walk the night before, we would have done it. We would have just camped out in the ring with a tent or something or worn pink shorts. I would have convinced AJ to do it because the opportunity is too good to turn down. And thankfully, it's a great opportunity, and we've got to just go in there and do the business.”
Tom Ivers is an amateur boxer who has a master’s degree in sports journalism. He had his first bout in 2013, joined BoxingScene in 2024 and is now a key part of the UK and social media teams.
