Jake Paul could beat Anthony Joshua if he prepared with a real training camp for the second time, believes MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.
Paul made the scariest step of his crossover career last December when he faced former two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua, who broke his opponent’s jaw in a sixth-round stoppage victory.
Paul was required to have several teeth removed and two titanium plates placed in his mouth, such was the damage caused by Joshua.
Joshua later overcame two first-round knockdowns to defeat Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga and is now preparing to face Tyson Fury in a highly anticipated all-British showdown at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
“I was very vocal that I didn’t want him to do the fight on three weeks’ notice,” MVP CEO Bidarian said of Paul’s fight with Joshua.
“He did better than the guy Anthony Joshua fought in July (Prenga) and he wasn’t KO’d.
“I don’t think it was a massive overshoot, Jake sat AJ a few times and you saw in July AJ was vulnerable but it was too fast, not enough preparation time.
“He was cutting weight to fight Gervonta Davis and then suddenly he was fighting a guy who was 40kg naturally heavier than him.
“If Jake did this with the right training camp, he would have a very good shot at beating AJ.”
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Paul broke his jaw in his loss to Joshua (Video courtesy of Netflix and MVP)
Paul announced this week that he will return to the ring against an unnamed opponent in Dubai on Christmas Eve, his first scheduled bout since facing Joshua.
Darren Till is among the possible opponents as Paul looks to bolster a resume that already includes Mike Tyson, Julio César Chávez Jr, Nate Diaz and Joshua.
“One of the things Jake said last week was, ‘I’m a bigger dog than ever because none of those punches hurt, sure he broke my jaw and I went down, but if you saw my face I said woah, that was a zinger, that felt good.’
“Tell me who else breaks his jaw in two places, stands in the ring and does and interview for 10 minutes talking about the fight. That’s the fighter Jake Paul.”
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Joshua has made the bold prediction that he will knock out Tyson Fury in one round. Check out his previous explosive first round KOs
Darren Till ‘on the list’
Bidarian explained that the shortlist of possible fights for Paul is now three or four names, with the aim of announcing the opponent in the next two weeks.
“We’re down to three or four names, just trying to see who we’re going to get across the finish line,” he said. Sky Sports News.
“Darren (Till) is definitely someone we’ve had on the list. There are two or three names that are still under consideration.
“It’s going to be exciting and, like every fight with Jake Paul, an even match. Every step that Jake has taken in terms of experience or level has been equally matched and he’s achieved, apart from the fight against Anthony Joshua, he’s passed with flying colours.
“Thirteen months ago, he pushed me to fight Anthony Joshua within a three-week window, he pushed me that you could beat him.
“He got knocked down, TKO’d, his jaw broken in two places and now he’s back after a year off, so he’s just trying to manage the right opponent who has commercial viability, who is a real test, but who doesn’t have a massive advantage against Jake Paul.
“I hope if it will be next week or the week after we will announce who that opponent is.”
