Frank Warren: Anthony Joshua Must Overcome Jake Paul Before Any Tyson Fury Fight

British-Nigerian heavyweight Anthony Joshua has been warned that a fight with Tyson Fury will remain out of reach unless he secures a convincing win over Jake Paul next month.

Promoter Frank Warren, who will handle negotiations for Fury’s return, emphasized that Joshua must avoid a major upset when he faces the YouTuber-turned-boxer on December 19.

“If he doesn’t beat Jake Paul, then forget about fighting Tyson. That just isn’t going to happen,” Warren told SunSport. “It’s about how he wins, if he wins. AJ is coming off a tough loss—he hit the canvas five or six times in that fight. It was a very challenging night for him.”

At 36, Joshua is still slated to fight in Riyadh in February, with a potential Fury showdown in September reportedly part of Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh’s plans. However, Warren stressed that the Paul fight is a critical hurdle.

“AJ just needs to get through that fight if anything else is to happen,” he said.

This bout marks Joshua’s return to the ring following his devastating five-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September 2024, where he was floored multiple times.

While acknowledging Paul’s dedication to boxing, Warren insisted that Joshua should enter the fight as the clear favourite.

“Jake Paul has been criticized for choosing easy opponents, but he is a professional, trains hard, and works hard. This is a major step up for him,” Warren said. “He’s a cruiserweight facing a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist—a real test. But it’s a huge draw, especially in the U.S., as Jake has an enormous following.”