A potential fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul is being actively discussed, with dates and locations already being eyed.
Paul, the polarising YouTuber-turned-boxer called out former two-time heavyweight world champion, Joshua in March and the pair have since exchanged messages going back-and-forth.
‘AJ’ has been sidelined with an elbow injury and out of the ring since a devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September.
Paul reiterated his callout of the 35-year-old Brit after outpointing former world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June, his first bout since beating former heavyweight world champion, Mike Tyson, who was 58-years-old at the time.
The 28-year-old’s manager Nakisa Bidarian has confirmed that talks are ongoing with Joshua’s promoters, Matchroom Boxing over staging the bout in early 2026.
“I think we’re looking at it happening in Q1 of 2026,” Bidarian told Sky Sports.
“I think it’s public that AJ was taking a little time away.
“I think he had a little surgery, so once he’s ready and once Jake is ready we’re going to squarely focus on that.”
A potential meeting between the pair has drawn comparisons to Joshua’s clash with former UFC star, Francis Ngannou, whom he viciously stopped in two rounds last March.
Bidarian has rubbished those suggestions, claiming the American’s far greater professional experience than Ngannou would stand him in good stead against ‘AJ’.
“Power is obviously the last thing to go,” the Most Valuable Promotions CEO added.
“So obviously AJ has a ton of power and he’s still fairly young.
“Mike Tyson, a much more vicious of a knockout artist than Anthony Joshua, much older than AJ, but that was a risk that Jake was willing to take.
“Francis Ngannou, amazing MMA fighter, very powerful man, not an experienced boxer.
“A lot less experienced than Jake Paul.
“So if people were comfortable with Francis getting in there with AJ, Jake who is now 13 fights in plus one amateur fight, a lot less than AJ, but much more than Francis Ngannou, I think we’re very comfortable with it.”
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Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn has confirmed that they would be interested in facing ‘The Problem Child’ before finally delivering a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury, who is set to return next year.
Paul recently met with Saudi Arabian boxing chief, Turki Alalshikh who has bankrolled Joshua’s last three fights and Bidarian admits there are several locations being discussed to stage the bout, including Saudi Arabia and Wembley Stadium.
“We’re looking at multiple options,” Bidarian revealed.
“Wembley is definitely a possibility.
“Jake has said he’d like to do it there. He likes the idea of going in and hearing 90,000 people booing him, he kind of feeds off that.
“But we’re looking at the US. Saudi Arabia is also an option. The Middle East is an option as a whole.
”We want to do it in the most impactful way possible.”
