Ryan Garcia Reveals Only Way Jake Paul Can Beat Anthony Joshua

Ryan Garcia got brutally honest about what Jake Paul needs to pull off an upset against Anthony Joshua.
IMAGO / NurPhoto

Everybody in boxing has been talking about Jake Paul's decision to fight Anthony Joshua on December 19, in a bout that will take place in Miami, Florida.

Many people are astounded that Paul would be willing to take on this massive challenge against a guy who is much bigger and more experienced, especially on short notice. And it's not like Paul was short on options, as plenty of fighters would have jumped at the opportunity to fight him next month, given the platform and paycheck doing so would provide.

One of the first fighters Paul reportedly reached out to was Ryan Garcia, but Garcia's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, shut that down because Garcia is contracted with DAZN, and this is a Netflix fight.

Garcia has been vocal about Jake taking this Joshua fight, including him saying, "At the end of the day, he has so many options. He's always looking for the guy that can make the most noise. All his picks that he has fought in the pros, has been guys that have some names," on a November 17 episode of Ring Magazine's Inside the Ring show.

Ryan Garcia misses weight, weighing in at 143.2lbs for his bout with WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney on April 18,
Ryan Garcia misses weight, weighing in at 143.2lbs for his bout with WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney on April 18, 2024. | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

"He's probably thinking, 'Anthony Joshua, maybe his chin is suspect. Maybe he's not even thinking about me, so I'm going to come in and somehow hit him with my right hand.' Because he believes that his right hand is as strong as [Deontay] Wilder," Garcia added. "I think [Paul has] seen [Daniel] DuBois drop him with the right hand, and say, 'Oh. I can do that. That's my shot.'"

Ryan Garcia Shares Hilarious Stance on Jake Paul's Chances Agianst Anthony Joshua

Garcia did a recent live stream on X where he spoke about Paul fighting Joshua. And when asked by a fan what he thinks Paul should do in the fight, he said, "Honestly, I think the only way [Jake is] gonna win is if God really wants him to win."

Garcia began cracking up and then added, "I don't know any other way, bro. Like, it's not gonna happen. Because the thing is, he has never fought a real heavyweight where they're really trying to hurt you. You fought Mike Tyson, and obviously, he was too old, right?... So it's a whole different ball game. What happens when Jake gets hit by Anthony?"

"Out of a million times if they fought, honest to God, I think Jake could win maybe one of the million times they fight," he concluded.

Most would agree with Garcia's sentiment. But Paul has proved people wrong before.

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Grant Young
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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.