Eddie Hearn has made a concerning claim about Jake Paul's future as the influencer's team prepares to take legal action in the wake of his defeat to Anthony Joshua.
Paul squared up against the former world heavyweight champ in Miami last Friday (19 December) in a money-spinning fight that was streamed live on Netflix.
Many thought that the YouTuber was crazy to challenge himself against such an esteemed boxer, having previously lost to Tommy Fury, and it was expected that AJ would triumph in the first couple of rounds.
However, thanks to a strategy that involved a lot of clinching and knockdowns, the 28-year-old was able to last until the sixth round, as he finally launched an offensive following a pretty brutal warning from referee Christopher Young.
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However, it was certainly a case of no pain no gain, as Paul confirmed after the fight that he'd suffered a broken jaw in two places.
He wrote on X: “Just got out of surgery. Everything went smooth. Thanks for all the love. Lots of pain and stiffness.
“Gotta eat liquids for 7 days S/o to the amazing team at Miami University hospital. Everyone was so gracious and caring.”
While Paul will no doubt be eyeing up another fight with a fellow huge name from the world of boxing, AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn reckons he might well be waiting a while.
After being asked about Paul's future career in boxing during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hearn replied: “You do know that he’s broken his jaw in two places?
“He may never be able to fight again. People just think, ‘Oh, you just get your jaw wired, bolted together by a couple of screws, and on you go.’
“There have been many fighters who have had their jaws broken that never boxed again.”
Hearn also made reference to some of the rumours floating around that the result may well have been premeditated, which has led Paul's team to prepare a lawsuit against several social media users who claimed that the plan had been for Joshua to let the influencer knock him out.
He said: “We’re not actors here. It was one hundred percent real, there was never any strategy, any deal, any script.
“AJ wanted to land clean as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the only time he landed really clean was in the sixth round.”
Of course, any potentially pre-planned result certainly didn't come to pass, as Joshua upped the ante in the sixth round and finally connected with his opponent, which led to a number of knockdowns until the referee ruled that Paul couldn't continue.
Given the extent of his injuries, which will see him drinking his food for the next few days at least, it's difficult to see Paul returning to the ring anytime soon.
However, he was also willing to get beaten up by a man with significantly more height, power and experience than him, so it's certainly not out of the question to see him back fighting again in the future.
Topics: Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn, Boxing, Netflix
James Moorhouse