In this week’s mailbag, we tackle your thoughts on the December 19 clash between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua; Conor Benn’s rematch victory over a diminished version of Chris Eubank Jnr; and whether Rafael Espinoza’s victory against Arnold Khegai bodes poorly for the featherweight titleholder’s future.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.

In no right world does Jake Paul win this fight with Anthony Joshua. In fact, I don't see in any scenario that he doesn’t get KTFO. He’s an amateur boxer at best going up against an Olympic gold medalist who is still one one of the hardest heavyweight punchers active today.

If they're looking at Joshua’s loss to Daniel Dubois and thinking that he’s ripe for the picking, they’re probably right. Except not for Jake Paul to be the guy to do the picking. How about another top level elite heavyweight instead? Not a rookie who is not even a true heavyweight himself. This is going to end bad for Jake if this is 100% legit with zero handicaps in Jake’s favor. 

-ELPacman

David Greisman’s response: You’re right, even if Jake Paul deserves more credit than you’re otherwise giving him. For someone as inexperienced as he is – with no amateur credentials and just 13 pro fights over the past five years – Paul could still rightly be viewed as an actual prospect. One can tell that he has put in the work in the gym to add skill and technique to the athleticism that already existed. Those deriding Paul for his loss to Tommy Fury in early 2023 should also recognize that Paul has improved since then.

None of that should mean that Paul can be competitive with Anthony Joshua. Not so long as Joshua isn’t physically or mentally shot as a fighter. Not so long as Joshua isn’t drained by making the agreed-upon limit of 245lbs, which he was last under for his 2022 rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk (and hasn’t topped out beyond 252.5lbs since).

Unless Paul has somehow grown leaps and bounds to be able to compete with someone who could still be considered one of the top 10 or 20 heavyweights in the world, this won’t end well for him.

Which makes this a huge improvement from Paul’s previous selection of opponents. We wanted Paul to pick on someone his own size; Joshua is much bigger. We wanted Paul to face someone who actually stands a chance; Joshua is well beyond Andre August, Ryan Bourland and Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr.

We just wanted to see Paul face a decent cruiserweight. Instead, we’re getting another circus. But this is going to get far more attention, and earn the two headliners far more money. Let’s just hope that Paul gets out of this with his health intact.

CONOR BENN DESERVES NO CREDIT FOR BEATING EUBANK JNR

How does beating a depleted Chris Eubank Jnr, who’s already not elite, prove anything? Let’s see when Conor Benn comes back down to 147 and faces real opposition without PEDs.  

-steeve steel

Owen Lewis’ response: I don’t think it proves much. The win was cathartic for Benn, his father, an overly enthusiastic Eddie Hearn, and Benn’s fans. Benn also controlled every minute of the bout, an admirable performance against somebody who had beaten him in April. But I simply don’t buy that Benn is suddenly a world-class fighter because he beat up, as you said, a far worse version of Eubank than appeared in the first go-around. 

I’d also like to see Benn against sterner opponents. Dropping back down to 147, though, is a dangerous game. Benn has now weighed in at over 150lbs for his last four fights, and over 156 for his last two. Welterweight may be where Benn made his name, but I’d guess it no longer fits his frame. If Benn is to drop back down, it’d behoove him to do it very gradually and cautiously. 

Besides, 154lbs is gleaming with so much more star power than the once-great welterweight division. I’m yet to see anything that suggests Benn could hang with the top names in that weight class, but fighting them should earn him more money and prestige (though perhaps there’s some dough in domestic showdowns with welterweights Lewis Crocker or Paddy Donovan) than dropping all the way down to 147.

And yes, Benn’s positive tests for clomiphene – and the immediate absence of his knockout power thereafter – remain a blemish on his career, and shouldn’t be forgotten just because he won his last fight.

BENN AND EUBANK HAVE THE NAMES BUT NOT THE TALENT

Can we just call this for what it is? It’s barely a step up from what Jake Paul puts out. Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn are two nepo babies living off their fathers’ names. They’re both domestic-level fighters who have never been world champs or world class. Benn will get washed if he ever steps up to world-class level, and Eubank Jnr is done. If it weren’t for their fathers’ names and the deluded level of support gullible British fans provide these hype jobs, no one would even know them. 

-Jab jab boom

Lucas Ketelle’s response: You are not wrong, but boxing is and will always be an entertainment-first business. It also speaks to the love British boxing fans have for Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn. Those two had moments that captured the attention of a generation of fight fans, so much so that people are intrigued by their sons, who are not as talented, fighting. 

Yes, Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn are closer to domestic-level fighters than titleholders, at least based on the eye test, but we see this in all walks of life. People get good jobs based on their parents or even inherited money they didn’t earn. These two will likely define their career fighting each other. 

I get the frustration, as fighters like super middleweight Osleys Iglesias exist and get ignored, but the British fans love their fighters, and fights like this can exist based on their passion for the sport. Is it world-class boxing? Probably not. But for some, it is fun. It is a take it or leave it type of bout, and talented fighters like Jack Catterall and Adam Azim got a fight on a big stage to display their talents, which can only help the sport. 

CHRIS EUBANK CAN ONLY BLAME HIMSELF FOR BEING DEPLETED

Abusing your body to make weight only to get abused in the ring is entirely Chris Eubank Jnr’s choice. And for that he found a few million quid he didn’t have before and wouldn’t have without Eggs Benny, so he got no complaints. 

-pollywog

Jake Donovan’s response: This was literally my takeaway really from both fights (sans the “Eggs Benny” reference, though I do appreciate a good quip). It was Eubank’s choice to go through with both fights under those conditions. Mind you, I would wholeheartedly sign any petition that calls for the banishment of rehydration clauses – and catchweights while we’re at it, though that’s a separate discussion. 

But Eubank was perfectly fine to risk his health for the life-changing paydays that came with both assignments. Absent a fight with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez while he was still undisputed champ, there is no other option at 160 or 168 that comes close to what Eubank financially achieved in 2025. Time for everyone else to put to rest the “Eubank was a victim” argument.

WARNING SIGNS FOR RAFAEL ESPINOZA

Arnold Khegai was too tough for his own good. But if a guy that small in comparison could consistently land flush overhands, what's going to happen when and if Rafael Espinoza decides to move up in weight? 

-Joseph

Jake Donovan’s response: This claim is badly in need of context. As the fight progressed, Espinoza pushed more for the stoppage and, therefore, took more risks with his offense. He’s proven throughout his reign that he can be defensively responsible when the situation calls for it. Even on Saturday, Khegai was held to single digit connects in seven of the 10 rounds. Espinoza is an offensive machine with a remarkable gas tank. Make no mistake, he’s adaptable enough to be a tough out for anyone at whatever weight he can comfortably make.

Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.