Jake Paul’s camp is preparing to launch legal action following explosive claims that his blockbuster fight with Anthony Joshua was fixed.
Paul, 28, faced former heavyweight world champion Joshua in Miami last weekend in a Netflix-backed event reportedly earning each fighter around $93 million. The bout ended in dramatic fashion when Joshua stopped the YouTuber in the sixth round with a thunderous right hand, The Sun details.
The knockout left Paul with two fractures to his jaw, bloodied and requiring emergency surgery. Despite the severity of the injury, speculation quickly surfaced online suggesting the eight-round contest had been pre-arranged, with allegations that Joshua had initially agreed not to score a knockout.
Some critics pointed to the opening rounds as fuel for the conspiracy. Joshua, known for early stoppages against elite heavyweights, landed very little in the first four rounds. In the opening stanza, he reportedly connected with just two punches, prompting boos from the crowd and frustration from the referee, who was heard warning both fighters about the quality of the action.
The tone of the fight shifted dramatically in the fifth round, when Joshua increased the pressure. Paul was knocked down twice before being finished decisively in the sixth.
In response to claims that the fight was scripted, Paul’s manager and Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian revealed that lawyers are now pursuing legal action against several individuals spreading the allegations.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Bidarian said: “Our lawyers are actively going after a number of people, including one who claims to be a lawyer online. One post alone had around 200,000 likes.”
He explained that the post alleged there was an agreement preventing Joshua from knocking Paul out, and that Joshua supposedly ignored it to end the fight early. “It’s astonishing what people are willing to say,” Bidarian added.
Bidarian firmly denied any suggestion that there were pre-fight discussions involving Joshua, promoters or Netflix about how long the fight should last. “There has never been any conversation like that in Jake Paul’s career,” he said. “This was a professional fight, no different from any other.”
He also noted that Joshua had publicly stated before the bout that failing to score an early knockout would be a disappointment. “People were convinced this wouldn’t go beyond two rounds,” Bidarian said. “The narrative only changed after the fight.”
While Joshua is now focused on securing a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury in early 2026, Paul faces a prolonged recovery. He is expected to take an extended break from boxing while his jaw heals, having already been placed on a liquid-only diet.
Despite joking online about blending expensive food and posting photos with cash and firearms on a private jet, questions remain over Paul’s future in the ring.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn suggested the injury could be career-altering. “He’s broken his jaw in two places,” Hearn said. “There are fighters who never come back from that.”
Hearn dismissed the rigging claims entirely, insisting: “This was one hundred per cent real. There was no deal, no script. AJ wanted to land clean as early as possible – it just didn’t happen until the sixth round.”