The so-called Judgment Day will generate millions of dollars and attract huge ratings, but leave boxing a little more broken
T
he unsurprising confirmation of “a colossal global showdown” between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua arrived on Monday morning with a dull thud. That grand description of an eight-round scrap between a former YouTuber and a former world heavyweight champion was supplied by Paul’s company, Most Valuable Promotions, which also announced that the contest will be screened live on Netflix on 19 December and called Judgment Day.
Boxing operates in a netherworld that appears to have sunk far beyond any fear of judgment, while Paul has always had delusions of grandeur as a novice pro. But even boxing may have to consider its own culpability should Paul be badly hurt and end up in hospital after this fully sanctioned bout with regulation 10oz gloves is held in Miami.
Paul is a brilliant hustler and, until now, he has chosen his opponents with deliberate care to avoid excessive danger. His most obviously successful stunt was to entice a 58-year-old Mike Tyson into the ring last November. It turned out to be the biggest “fight” of 2024, but it was an inevitable charade as Tyson was a shell of the great he had once been. Years of self-abuse, allied to severe depression, a stomach ulcer, a bad knee and acute sciatica, meant Tyson shuffled around the ring and took the odd punch for an astronomical purse.
