Boxing

Michael Buffer Sends Jake Paul 4-Word Warning About Anthony Joshua Fight

Legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer gave Jake Paul honest advice before his fight against Anthony Joshua.
Grant Young|
Sep 28, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Michael Buffer during the Adonis Stevenson (not pictured) and Tavoris Cloud (not pictured) light-heavyweight WBC world championship bout at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Sep 28, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Michael Buffer during the Adonis Stevenson (not pictured) and Tavoris Cloud (not pictured) light-heavyweight WBC world championship bout at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images | Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

There is genuine concern for Jake Paul as he prepared to fight Anthony Joshua on December 19.

Not only do people think Paul is essentially guaranteed to suffer the second loss of his professional career (he lost to Tommy Fury via split decision in February 2023), but they also believe he's probably going to get knocked out in brutal fashion, since Joshua has a significant size and experience advantage.

What's more, Paul was preparing to fight Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who is about one foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter than Joshua. While he has quickly pivoted to facing guys of Joshua's size, that makes for a significant change in game plan on such short notice.

None of this bodes well for Jake Paul. And while he's sure to earn a ton of money from facing Joshua on Netflix, there's a case to be made that it will ultimately derail the progress he has made in his career to this point.

Jake Paul's camp wants Gervonta Davis after Canelo Alvarez fight fell off
IMAGO / Bildbyran

Michael Buffer Gets Honest About Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua Fight

Legendary boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer was interviewed by TMZ, which was published on their YouTube channel on November 29.

When asked about Jake Paul facing Joshua, Buffer said, "Anthony Joshua is, at this time, and has been for years, the biggest puncher in boxing. He's a devastating puncher. So I got to give Jake a lot of credit for wanting to take this fight."

Buffer was then asked what it would do for Paul's career if he "surprised the world" and beat Joshua, and he said, "The world wouldn't be surprised, it would be shocked the world. But that's exactly why you've got to give him credit; he wants to do it. He trains hard, he works hard, and he has a lot of faith in himself, so we'll see what happens."

"Work on your defense," Buffer added when asked what tip he'd give to Paul about fighting Joshua.

"He has really worked on his footwork, and his hand speed and everything. He's about 6'2'' or something. So he's not a small guy and obviously, a great athlete. And it's a big step up, but it's a step he wants to take. He controls everything he does, and he does it in a great way," Buffer added of Jake Paul.

Biuffer is clearly giving Jake Paul a lot of credit for taking this fight. However, his advice for Paul to "work on your defense" speaks volumes about how he thinks the bout might play out.

The Latest Boxing News

Eddie Hearn Sends Anthony Joshua Retirement Message Before Jake Paul Fight

Roy Jones Jr Makes Telling Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Rematch Prediction

Andy Ruiz Tells Jake Paul How To Beat Anthony Joshua

10 Richest Boxers Of All Time

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.