Whatever you think of Jake Paul, there's no doubting that he gets people talking. Dividing opinion - something that Paul brothers have done from the outset - Jake Paul's ventures into the boxing ring bridge the generations. We're now a week out from the next big spectacle, exclusive to Netflix, which could be one of the biggest highlights of the holiday season for streamers.
Confirmation of Jake Paul's fight with Anthony Joshua only came on 17 November, so it's been a relatively short wait to get to the next spectacle. Building hype for the fight that needs no hype at all, there's now an official Netflix trailer for the event that will take place on 19 December.
That relatively quick turnaround will come as a relief after the delay in the run-up to the Tyson fight, originally announced on 7 March 2024, but not taking place until 15 November. That fight bought Jake Paul to Netflix as the streaming giant looks for more ways to bring us entertainment.
This is about entertainment, something that - love it or hate it - Jake Paul has a talent for and something that that many in the boxing community aren't happy about. It's a spectacle, for sure, which is why it's going to be a big win for Netflix.
How the action will unfold remains to be seen. Paul's fight with Tyson attracted no shortage of attention with a reported 65 million concurrent streams. For an event that matched a YouTuber against a 58 year man, those are impressive figures, but it says something about Mike Tyson's legendary status and Jake Paul's brass.
Anthony Joshua is a different story which is why I'd expect this fight to be even larger. Jake Paul's narrative is that no one takes him seriously, but when pulling in opponents the calibre of Anthony Joshua it's impossible not to take this seriously.
Much of the commentary has been about the mismatch - Joshua has greater experience, a height, weight and reach advantage - and I suspect that those watching are going to be as divided as the critics. Some will want Jake "El Gallo" Paul to gain credibility, some will want AJ to end the mess of entertainment boxing with a swift and decisive knockout.
There are undoubtedly suspicions that the entertainment side of this contest could prevail with Joshua standing to lose a great deal of credibility if he doesn't come out fighting. There's no shortage of speculation that Mike Tyson pulled his punches to protect Jake Paul and to ensure a big payday, and no one wants to see Joshua do the same thing.
In the balance hangs reputation, the reputation of Anthony Joshua and boxing as a professional competitive sport, but for Jake Paul, it's win-win. He's a character who thrives on criticism and stands go gain everything. Having the cajónes to face a genuine, current, heavyweight champion is a win, landing punches will be a win, taking a couple of proper punches will be a win.
Being knocked out will probably be a win too, because it's what everyone wants to see. But ultimately, proving that he can survive the eight rounds of the fight is the ultimate victory.
Nobody wants to see a horror show unfold on Friday night, but I suspect everyone - the lovers, the haters and the confused curious - are going to be watching it.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.