If Anthony Joshua underperforms against Jake Paul, he’s not just putting a potential fight with Tyson Fury in jeopardy, his own future boxing career would be at risk too, says Frank Warren.
Fury could end his retirement and come back to the sport in 2026 with a long-awaited clash against Joshua one of the biggest fights that could be made in boxing.
While Joshua hasn't fought since losing inside five rounds to then IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois, the former two-time unified titlist is returning in the most unexpected way - boxing YouTuber-turned fighter Jake Paul, in essence a novice professional cruiserweight, next month in Miami.
Joshua losing a fight to Paul is almost inconceivable, even for him to have any struggles at all would be a shock.
But were that to happen, it would compromise a potential Tyson Fury fight taking place in future.
"If he looks bad against Jake Paul, when you consider the experience he has and what Jake Paul's got, then I think he should turn it in," Frank Warren, Fury's promoter, told SportNews.
"I come from a traditional background in boxing and the bottom line of it, you think a good big 'un will beat a good little 'un. Well, AJ didn't look so good in his last fight, he got absolutely taken apart by Daniel Dubois," he explained.
"Jake Paul, he's had 13 fights, that's it. He's stepping up. Everybody's accusing him of ducking people. What you've got to take into consideration is Jake Paul is actually in the gym, has been training and is now and has been a licenced boxer."
But Warren added: "It's a massive, massive step up for him, it's a massive step up. Fighting a natural heavyweight, a big guy, a two-time heavyweight world champion, Olympic gold medallist, all that, it's a massive, massive first step up and he'll go in as a big underdog, a big, big underdog.
"But everyone will be watching it."
It could be an ugly collision. "I liken it to a car crash," Warren said. "[People] will buy into it, and they'll watch it and it'll do big, big numbers."
Fury is close to announcing what he'll do next and he could fight twice next year if he does return.
"If he's going to come back he'll make his decision and he'll do that fairly soon I think if he's going to do it," Warren said.
"He's indicated he wants to. It's not just whether he wants to. It's also the finances and what the deal would be. Let's see what happens."
