In less than a week, on the 19th of December, the boxing world will be treated with what may probably be defined as the match of the year: the bout between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua. The fight will go live from the Kaseya Center in Miami and will be streamed globally by Netflix, who helped Paul organize the fight and has the rights for a worldwide distribution.

 The hype is through the roof, given the wide popularity of the two fighters, and the match promises to be better balanced than the last Paul’s exhibition against Mike Tyson, streamed by the big N in November 2024. 

What do the bookmakers think?

 In recent weeks, there has been a lot of discussion around how experts see the balance between the two fighters. Anyone who wants an at‑a‑glance view of current market expectations can check the Jake Paul vs Antony Joshua odds for a general overview of the pre‑fight picture and collect some info and news. Netflix has scheduled a whole preparatory week (nicknamed Fight Week) to accompany the viewers to the fight night that will go live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Friday 19..

Who are the contenders

 Let’s take a moment to get to know these two gladiators.

Jake Paul

 Jake Paul, also known as El Gallo de Dorado, features a considerable collection of nicknames and has spent the last five years transforming from a viral disruptor, widely popular for his videos and social media activity, to a genuinely dangerous contender in the ring. 

 The American pride of Puerto Rico has picked off names like Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz on his way up. He stacked knockouts, shook up expectations, and drew some of the largest audiences the sport has ever seen. He’s not just a social media sensation anymore. Paul’s leap into the heavyweight ranks last year, consolidated by his win over Iron Mike Tyson, who is certainly not in his prime anymore but is still one of the most celebrated boxers ever, was a global spectacle that shattered viewership records, with 108 million people tuning in. 

 Last June 2025, Paul scored a unanimous-decision victory over former world champion Julio César Chávez Jr. The outcome earned him a spot in the WBA cruiserweight rankings, where he currently sits at No. 15. 

 The Problem Child has collected a surprising list of accolades, including the ESPN Ringside Knockout of the Year and Sports Illustrated Breakout Boxer of the Year. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports issue; pushed for fairer fighter pay; asked for bigger platforms for young prospects and demanded expanded opportunities for women in the sport. He is an always more prominent figure in fighting and is trying to help build the next generation, while proving he belongs among the sport’s elite. By doing so, he is obviously pushing his name and his popularity further and further.

Anthony Joshua

 AJ is as fierce as they come, even among boxers. He has already built one of the most accomplished heavyweight résumés in modern boxing and is still not done. After winning Olympic gold for Great Britain at London 2012, he rocketed through the pro ranks. He claimed his first world title in 2016, with a dominant stoppage of Charles Martin. A year later, he delivered the kind of career-defining moment fighters dream about: an unforgettable war with Wladimir Klitschko, in front of 90,000 fans at a sold-out Wembley Stadium that unified the division and cemented his place as the sport’s newest superstar.

 AJ went on to collect and defend the WBO, WBA, and IBF titles, turning Wembley into his personal home arena and racking up victories over Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin. His unbeaten streak ended in his 2019 US debut against Andy Ruiz Jr. at Madison Square Garden. However, he returned six months later and won the rematch, becoming a two-time unified heavyweight champion in Saudi Arabia.

 Joshua certainly faced some setbacks in his career, but he never goes away. His strength is in his determination. AJ’s goal is to become a three-time heavyweight champion and this fight is his first step to do that.

Judgment Day

 The name chosen for this bout, Judgment Day, is pretty evocative. In Jake Paul’s words: “This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears. At that point, no one will deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami and live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”

 Obviously, this is a top-tier promotion coming from an elite entertainer. Paul has a lot of fans and arguably even more haters that would love to see Joshua knocking him down for good. Whatever the case, the 8-round fight is about to be a massive success for Netflix. One can hope that the two contenders will showcase some top-tier boxing.

 Stay up to date with Joshua’s performance and the outcome of this fight on Your Harlow. We’ll have some news about this clash, on our sport page, over the course of the weekend.