The Biggest Winner From The Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua Fight

When Daniel Dubois emphatically ended Anthony Joshua's hope of becoming a three-time heavyweight champion, many wondered where the 36-year-old would go next. He has since rebounded with his most high-profile win to date, albeit over Jake Paul.

Yet, Joshua was not the biggest winner of the night. He cashed a big payday, but the win does not do much for him in his career at this stage. Instead, nobody benefited from his highlight-reel knockout over Paul more than another YouTuber-turned-fighter, KSI.

KSI is not a fighter anyone has considered in boxing for years, mostly because he has not been much of a fighter recently. The part-time rapper and entrepreneur has not been in the ring since losing to Tommy Fury in October 2023, which dropped his professional record to just 1-1.

TOMMY FURY DEFEATS KSI 😱

(via @DAZNBoxing)
pic.twitter.com/LOpZNpuyHS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 14, 2023

KSI has been in the boxing news cycle recently, but not for anything positive. He was abruptly stripped of his role as CEO of Misfits Boxing by his own agent, Mams Taylor, and replaced by Andrew Tate, of all people. The move put whatever is left of KSI's boxing career certainly in doubt.

However, assuming KSI is not under contract with Misfits, it opens up his options, making the Paul fight slightly more possible. The matchup has been worked on before, but weight negotiations and promotional agreements got in the way. If Misfits is out of the picture, that removes one significant barrier to the long-awaited influencer vs. influencer matchup.

There are still several barriers to the fight coming to fruition, but it is now more of a possibility than it has been in years, making Joshua's knockout the best-case scenario for KSI on Saturday night.

KSI is the biggest winner after Anthony Joshua's KO of Jake Paul

JJ Olatunji, also known as KSI | IMAGO / PA Images

KSI has been seeking the Paul fight for years, ever since 'El Gallo' broke into mainstream media. KSI is a well-known figure in his own right, especially in the United Kingdom, but he is relatively unknown in boxing and nowhere near Paul's level of fame as an athlete.

Although KSI kickstarted his boxing career with a win over Paul's brother, Logan, he has continued to chase the big-money fight. From switching to an unorthodox Karate-like fighting style to fighting Fury, he has done everything to try and gain Jake Paul's attention.

MORE: Insider Reveals How Much Money Jake Paul And Anthony Joshua Really Made Fighting

Yet, so far, all he has managed to do is cause Paul to send a few ill-mannered tweets in his direction.

The fight has not made much sense from Paul's perspective, especially after his wins over Nate Robinson and Ben Askren thrust his career into the limelight. KSI does not have anywhere close to the experience Paul does, but his style makes him an awkward fighter to deal with. More than anything else, egos routinely thwarted negotiations, as neither wanted to give in to the other's demands.

Jake Paul | Esther Lin / Most Valuable Promotions

But after losing to Joshua, Paul is in a different situation. He finds himself desperately needing a win, and one that fans would care about. He cannot go back to knocking out Andre August. Paul needs a meaningful victory, and KSI is a fight that would certainly make headlines.

KSI might not have any meaningful accomplishments in the ring, but he has proven to be a pay-per-view success. Two of his five pay-per-view cards — those against Logan Paul and Tommy Fury — have sold over one million buys on DAZN.

Given the situations both men are in, negotiations should be lighter this time around. KSI does not need a paycheck by any means, but his boxing career is on life support, and he seems to have additional motivation after getting stiffed by Misfits.

Perhaps egos prevent it from happening again, but if Jake Paul vs. KSI ever happens, it will be within the next year.

The Latest Boxing News

Comedian Shane Gillis To Walk Out BKFC Fighter At Philly Event

Andrew Tate Sends Scathing Message To 'Coward' Haters After Boxing Loss

Andrew Tate Reveals How Much Money He Made In Boxing Loss

Jake Paul Shares Gruesome Surgery Update After Anthony Joshua Knockout