Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk, KSI: Who will Jake Paul actually fight next?

Jake Paul is not going away, and somehow boxing’s ‘Problem Child’ could be sharing the ring with some huge names.

He found himself in the ring to call out Oleksandr Usyk in the aftermath of the Ukrainian’s victory over Daniel Dubois on Saturday, whilst rumours surrounding a fight with Anthony Joshua are building a head of steam.

Having established himself as a money-making machine for both him and his opponents, Paul has a long list of suitors. But who we will he be facing next?

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Anthony Joshua

In 2012, Anthony Joshua became an Olympic gold medallist, whilst Jake Paul would not enter the public eye until he found viral fame on the now defunct social media platform, Vine, in 2013.

Like him or loathe him, Paul has an uncanny ability to further his career in many different directions, taking his online celebrity to become a Disney Channel star.

Eventually, the braggadocious American broke through the containment of the entertainment industry and into mainstream boxing, starting off as a white-collar fighter before morphing into a ranked professional cruiserweight.

One thing is clear – fighting Jake Paul might be the most lucrative payday in boxing, outside of undisputed bouts or Canelo Álvarez’s own hype machine.

The fact that Canelo and Paul almost came to an agreement before Turki Alalshikh swooped in with a Riyadh Season deal for the Mexican demonstrates that for a certain price, big names will entertain the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

Paul and Joshua have exchanged private messages, before the American made a public declaration of his interest in the fight after defeating Julio César Chávez Jr in June.

For Joshua, a bout with Paul would fit into reported plans to face Tyson Fury. Boxing’s kingmaker Turki Alalshikh has suggested in recent days that both Joshua and Fury will have tune up fights before meeting in 2026.

The chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority has also stated that Joshua facing – and knocking out – Paul would solve a problem for him.

He told The Ring: “If Joshua destroys him, it will be good for me; the headache of Jake Paul is finished.”

Whilst Alalshikh’s involvement in arranging a fight is no guarantee, it certainly indicates that there is a realistic chance of Paul fighting Joshua inside a boxing ring, as crazy as that sounds.

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, certainly has not dismissed the idea. The Matchroom Boxing chief recently told Pro Boxing Fans: “I was with His Excellency [Alalshikh] yesterday, obviously he’d met Jake Paul. I think he would like to do it, you know, but it’s mad enough to happen.

“It’s not something we expected, it’s not something we’re targeting. If it’s offered to us, I would be shocked if AJ didn’t accept it.

“Why wouldn’t you? The plan for us is to fight Tyson Fury next year, if we can squeeze in Jake Paul along the way and you guys want AJ to end this whole process, he’ll gladly do it.”

Oleksandr Usyk

As soon as Oleksandr Usyk had reunified all four belts in the heavyweight division by knocking out Daniel Dubois on Saturday, the ring was filled with interlopers.

Long gone are the days of throwing just a hat into the ring, with WBO interim champion Joseph Parker, WBC interim title holder Agit Kabayel, and Jake Paul all chucking themselves in front of Usyk – and more importantly – the cameras and microphones in the near vicinity.

Although rumoured fights with stars such as Canelo and Anthony Joshua have weight behind them, even Paul knows that he is no position to petition Usyk for a shot at all the heavyweight marbles.

Instead, Paul’s proposal would take Usyk out of the ring and into the cage, with the two partaking in an MMA bout. Paul has technically been an MMA fighter for some time; although he is still yet to make his debut since signing for Professional Fighters League in January 2023.

A key figure in Team Usyk, Sergey Lapin, suggested earlier this year that an MMA bout with Jake Paul would be an interesting proposition – largely based on the money involved.

In March Lapin told OLBG: “Usyk has always cared only about fighting the best and creating a lasting legacy in the great sport of boxing. But in the future, as he further solidifies his place as one of the true great fighters, we’ll see what other opportunities open up for him.

“It might be great to step into the cage with Jake Paul under MMA rules, it would be interesting if there is money to be made from it.”

Gervonta Davis

If Jake Paul is to be believed, we could have seen ‘The Problem Child’ take on Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis this year, had the lightweight not drawn with Lamont Roach in March.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Paul stated: “That was on the one-yard (line) as well, but he has to rematch Lamont Roach.

“He wants to get that back. Then we will be back in discussions with Mr. Gervonta.”

Rather than a fight at a clear weight class, it has been reported that it would in fact be an exhibition where Paul would weigh no more than 195lbs.

That is still quite the jump for lightweight Davis, who came in at 133.8lbs for his last fight.

Whether the bout will be revisited considering new developments with Usyk and Joshua remains to be seen.

Carl Froch

Jake Paul has built his boxing career by targeting old or retired world champions, so perhaps it is no surprise that ex-unified super middleweight champion Carl Froch has called out the American.

Froch’s first offer came when Paul was gearing up to face Mike Tyson in November 2024, with the boxer-turned-pundit continuing to offer his services into 2025.

In January, Paul’s promotional partner Nakisa Bidarian stated: “Show up with an offer that makes sense for MVP (Most Valuable Promotions) and Jake Paul, who drive the biggest numbers in the entire sport and we’ll be happy to have a conversation.

“We’re certainly not looking to come to the UK to offer a 47-year-old Carl Froch – who’s never sold a pay-per-view in his life in the US which is the most important market – and make him an offer.”

Bidarian quoted $10million for the fight, with Froch pledging to donate his earnings to charity.

In recent interviews promoting his fight against Julio César Chávez Jr, Paul and his team rejected suggestions of facing Froch.

KSI

Olajide Olatunji, better known by KSI, is another YouTuber that ventured into the world of boxing, arguably being the face of online celebrity fighting before Jake Paul usurped him.

KSI’s amateur fight with fellow British YouTuber Joe Weller could be seen as the breeding ground for Paul’s boxing career, and more general celebrity shenanigans in the sweet science.

KSI did convert to a professional fighter, facing Paul’s brother Logan Paul on debut, but his most recent fight was a 2023 loss to Tommy Fury, half brother of Tyson Fury.

Coincidentally, the only fighter to have defeated Paul is Fury, having done so months before beating KSI. At the time, that made a fight between KSI and Paul quite logical, especially considering the family history. Aside from KSI facing Logan Paul, once as an amateur, once as a pro, Jake Paul defeated Deji Olatunji, the younger brother of KSI.

KSI has largely stayed in his own lane when it comes to boxing, competing in his Misfits promotion. He has not fought in almost two years, and any talk of a bout with KSI and Jake Paul has slowly fizzled out.

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