Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul will clash in a sanctioned heavyweight fight tonight but some of the rules of their bout are very different to the ones the Brit is used to
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul meet tonight in a controversial heavyweight showdown in Miami.
Fans and pundits alike were sceptical the fight would even take place but both men weighed in successfully last night to make the contest official. For Joshua, he sees the bout as a mere warm-up act for much more serious nights to come next year – including a meeting with long-time rival Tyson Fury in September.
Paul, on the other hand, is stepping up considerably having built his record by fighting former MMA stars – and a 58-year-old Mike Tyson 13 months ago. The YouTube star insists he is ready for the challenge and has even promised to finish the fight before the final bell. Here, we look at the rules of the fight, and what is and isn’t allowed…
Weight limit
No, that is not a typo. Heavyweight fighters in boxing are not normally expected to meet a certain weight limit but Jake Paul insisted on one for Anthony Joshua. Unfortunately for the social media star, Joshua flipped the script and made a mockery of the rule by weighing the 245lb limit more than a week before the first bell. Joshua officially scaled 243.4lb last night and will have a near 30lb weight advantage in the ring tonight.
Rounds
Anthony Joshua is used to fighting for 12 three-minute rounds but will only be in the ring for a maximum of eight against Jake Paul tonight. It is unclear who insisted on the shortened bout, but Paul’s chances of going the distance are slim and so it will likely make little different. The rounds are at least three minutes in length, unlike when Paul took on Mike Tyson last year over two-minute sessions.
Gloves
One rule which stays true to ‘normal’ heavyweight fights is the size of gloves, with Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua wearing 10oz mitts tonight. Of course, they could wear different brands and Paul was criticised by Tony Bellew last year for wearing ‘puncher’s gloves’ against pensioner Mike Tyson.
Knockouts and scoring
As this is a professionally-sanctioned fights, knockouts are absolutely allowed, and almost everyone expects Anthony Joshua to add another to his record by dispatching Jake Paul in the first two rounds. If Joshua sends Paul to the canvas, he will have 10 seconds to prove to the referee he is fit to continue. Should Paul somehow make it through eight rounds and hear the final bell, three judges will score the fight before a winner is declared.
