Anthony Joshua dominated Jake Paul at Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19, winning by knockout in the sixth round. Paul left the ring with a double jaw fracture, significant bleeding from his mouth, and several lost teeth. Despite the clear physical toll, suspicions that the fight was fixed quickly emerged online.

Anthony Joshua (right) delivers a blow during his fight against Jake Paul in Miami, US, 20/12/2025. Reuters.

Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's business partner and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), confirmed that the American boxer's legal team is actively pursuing individuals who have accused the bout of being pre-scripted.

"Our lawyers are targeting several individuals," Bidarian stated on The Ariel Helwani Show. "There is a self-proclaimed lawyer who posted, claiming an agreement existed for Joshua not to knock out Jake. The post also said Joshua ignored the agreement, aiming only to minimize the reward but still defeating Paul."

Bidarian described the allegations as shocking and unbelievable. He added, "In Paul's career, nothing like this has ever happened. Joshua himself once stated that if he didn't finish an opponent in the first round, it would be a failure."

Eddie Hearn, promoter for Matchroom and Joshua's manager, also publicly dismissed the fixing rumors. "There was never any pre-scripted fight. We are not actors. This is 100% real," Hearn asserted, citing Paul's injuries, including a double jaw fracture and lost teeth, as undeniable proof. "Many boxers have broken their jaws and never returned to the ring."

Previously, renowned journalist Piers Morgan sparked controversy by calling Paul's career boring and fixed. After Paul retained prominent lawyer Alex Spiro, Morgan publicly apologized on social media to his 8,9 million followers and invited Paul onto his program to clarify the issue.

According to British newspaper Sportmail, Joshua and Paul each earned approximately 93,000 USD per second during the 989-second fight at Kaseya Center, with a total shared amount of 185 million USD. However, as Joshua is a UK resident, he will be required to pay approximately 37% of his earnings, equivalent to 35 million USD, to tax authorities.

Following his victory over Paul, Joshua publicly challenged fellow Briton Tyson Fury. Although both boxers have previously suffered defeats and lost heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk, a fight between the two top British contenders is still anticipated to be a significant commercial success and attract a large audience.

Joshua is expected to compete again in Riyadh in February, but this timeframe is too soon for Fury, who announced his retirement earlier this year and has not resumed training. Promoter Frank Warren indicated that the fight would have to wait until summer for Fury to prepare fully, with Wembley Stadium being the most viable option. "Tyson will participate if the financial conditions are met. He is maintaining stable physical condition and is ready to return to the ring," Warren stated, further revealing that Fury might make a return in April to warm up before the potential fight with Joshua.

Jake Paul after surgery for his fractured jaw. Instagram / Jake Paul.

Meanwhile, former heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora believes Paul will suffer such psychological damage from the knockout loss that he may retire from boxing.

"Paul won't box anymore," Chisora commented on SunSport's Split Decision show. "After breaking his jaw, he will definitely suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Broken jaw two times, two places. He won't return to the ring. Tell me who has broken their jaw in boxing and still came back? Real boxers come back, YouTubers don't."

Paul is an amateur boxer who transitioned from YouTube to boxing in 2020. Before facing Joshua, he had 12 professional fights, winning 11 and losing one — to Tommy Fury, brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, in February 2023.

Key moments from Anthony Joshua's knockout victory over Jake Paul.

Hong Duy (according to Daily Mail)