The energy inside The Fillmore Miami Beach was tense as Jake Paul and British fighter Anthony “AJ” Joshua came face to face at their final press conference ahead of their Netflix-streamed bout this Friday, December 19. What was supposed to be standard fight week talk quickly turned into a raw look at how seriously both men are taking this moment.
Jake Paul made it clear he believes Joshua understands the danger of this matchup.
“He has so much to lose in this fight,” Paul said. “I’ve got him in the corner, and I know that those nerves are going to kick in once he sees what I can do to him.” Paul leaned fully into the violence of the sport, calling boxing “the modern-day gladiator sport” and daring Joshua to bring everything he has. “Let’s f**king go, bro. Let’s put on a show for the fans… I want there to be no excuses when it’s all said and done, and let’s f**king kill each other.”
Joshua, calm but firm, didn’t back away from his own words. Responding to criticism over his “licensed to kill” mentality, he said, “It’s my job. We fight. We’re licensed to kill… it wasn’t personal.” He also acknowledged the pressure many fans have placed on him to represent traditional boxing, saying, “That’s why I have to carry boxing on my back with this fight.”
The co-main event brought heat of its own as unified 130-pound champion Alycia Baumgardner traded words with WBC lightweight champ Caroline Dubois over who truly represents women’s boxing.
“I’m the co-main event for a reason,” Baumgardner said, while Dubois pushed back, insisting fans would soon “make up your own mind about who is the best.”
Now the only thing left is what happens when Netflix goes live Friday night.
