Boxing

New Jake Paul Face Injury Raises Alarm Ahead Of Anthony Joshua Fight

Jake Paul made a confession about his training before fighting Anthony Joshua that's sure to raise eyebrows.
Grant Young|
Jake Paul
Jake Paul | IMAGO / Goal Sports Images

Jake Paul deserves a lot of credit for being willing to fight Olympic gold medalist and former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on December 19.

Not only does this put Paul's current six-fight winning streak and reputation on the line, but Paul is also risking his personal health and safety by stepping into the ring against a much bigger and more physically imposing man.

Joshua is one of the hardest punchers in the entire world, and his punches are going to land even harder when they connect with Paul, given that Paul is a natural cruiserweight (200 pounds) and that Joshua will likely enter the ring weighing between 245 and 250 pounds. If there's any solace to be had, it's that Jake Paul has spent a considerable time sparring against heavyweights.

He prepared to fight heavyweight legend Mike Tyson last November with a training camp that included many sparring sessions against bigger men. And Paul has done the same (albeit in a shortened span of time) ahead of this upcoming bout against Joshua. While bumps and bruises are inevitable for any boxer, Paul getting hit by bigger men adds an even greater risk of injury.

Jake Paul is closing in to strike Julio Chavez Jr.'s face at the Honda Center in Anaheim California on June 29th, 2025.
Jake Paul is closing in to strike Julio Chavez Jr.'s face at the Honda Center in Anaheim California on June 29th, 2025. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Jake Pauls Confesses to His Crooked Nose Before Fighting Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul is wearing the result of these tough sparring sessions on his face, which he spoke about during his December 10 appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

"You broke your nose? Is this new? I'm seeing your nose," McAfee said.

Paul then responded, "It's getting more crooked, brother. I'm not gonna lie. Sparring the heavyweights, my nose has moved a couple of millimeters this camp. A guy by the name of Frank Sanchez, he has definitely cracked it a little bit, so it definitely has a slight little something in there.

"But yeah, man. It's bad," Paul added while bringing his face closer to the camera. "I'm like Squidward, dog!"

The fact that Jake's nose is already getting moved by some of his heavyweight partners — who don't have nearly the same skill and pedigree as Joshua — is alarming, given how important one's ability to breathe through one's nose is during a boxing bout.

One would imagine that Joshua should be able to get Paul leaking blood out of his nose in short order when they face off next weekend. Then again, a clean punch from Joshua to Paul's nose would probably put his lights out, in which case a bloody nose would be the least of Paul's concerns.

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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.