‘I’m going to break his face’- Anthony Joshua’s promise to Jake Paul

Briton Anthony Joshua said he will “stomp all over” Jake Paul and “break” the American as the pair came face-to-face to promote next month’s heavyweight fight.

Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua meets YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul- in what is, on paper, a mammoth mismatch- at Miami’s Kaseya Center on December 19.

“I’m going to break his face and break his body up. I’m here to prove I’m the better fighter,” Joshua, 35, said.

“I’ll stomp all over him. That’s a fighter’s mentality.

“I’m going to really want to hurt him. That’s what I want to do.”

Despite those words, a relaxed Joshua and social media star Paul- usually known for his theatrics- exchanged pleasantries and kept it respectful with each other.

Paul instead targeted Joshua’s former opponent Francis Ngannou and called him “a joke” after the Cameroonian declined a fight offer.

He claimed the December bout had also been offered to Tommy Fury and Ryan Garcia but they were “scared”, while pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford had agreed to fight him next year.

Joshua, meanwhile, took aim at British rival Tyson Fury- Tommy’s brother- and refused a £1m bet ‘The Gypsy King’ says he will place on a Paul win.

“[Paul] is better than Tyson Fury – he’s actually sitting here. I give him credit for that,” Joshua said.

“I’m just here to fight. I’ll get the job done, collect my cheque and that’s it.”

Despite saying he intends to punish Paul, Joshua declined to speak negatively about his opponent’s boxing ability. “Jake is a serious fighter,” he said.

Paul- who first rose to fame on the Disney Channel- has mostly boxed MMA fighters or faded names since turning professional. He lost to Tommy Fury in 2023.

Still, the novice remains one of boxing’s biggest commercial attractions, regularly earning huge paydays.

The 28-year-old predicted a knockout win in round four or five and claimed he would derail the long-awaited Joshua–Fury fight, which is reportedly in the works for 2026.

“It’s going to be me versus Tyson Fury next year,” Paul said.

As Joshua and Paul met for the customary face-off, with their size difference on show, it drove home just how unlikely this whole event is- and how astonishing it is that the fight is truly going ahead. (BBC)