Joshua v Paul: Promoter Eddie Hearn says he misled MVP about Briton’s weight
Promoter Eddie Hearn has said he misled Jake Paul’s representatives by claiming Anthony Joshua weighed more than him in order to agree a suitable weight requirement for their fight.
Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Briton Joshua will face the YouTuber-turned-boxer on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Joshua has weighed more than 250lb (17st 12lb) in each of his last three fights, but must weigh under 245lb (17st 7lb). Both fighters will wear legal 10oz gloves.
“I talked to AJ and he was sitting at 265lb (18st 13lb) or something like that. I think I told Nakisa. [Bidarian – co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions] He said he was 290lb (20th) or something like that,” Hearn told the 5 Live Boxing podcast.
The fight, streamed live on Netflix, is scheduled to consist of eight three-minute rounds.
This will be a professional contest between one of Britain’s most decorated heavyweights and a former Disney Channel actor who has reinvented himself as a pay-per-view attraction.
“I said I wasn’t interested in bubble gloves and two-minute rounds but he said it was a real fight. I asked if it was 10 rounds or eight rounds – they said up to eight fines,” Hearn said.
“They said, ‘The only thing is Jake weighs about 220lb (15st 10lb) or 225lb (16st 1lb) and we want AJ to drop in weight.’
“He’s a heavyweight and he’s never made weight before. They said, ‘Look, we’re not being funny, and it’s not like we need an advantage, but we need you to have a disadvantage.'”
