Jake Paul claims Anthony Joshua was "singing his praises" when the pair spent time together on a recent trip to Dubai.
The former world heavyweight champion was in the Middle East for training and a holiday, while Paul was there to attend a number of functions and commentate on Tommy Fury's exhibition bout with Rolly Lambert. The YouTuber-turned-boxer trained with Joshua's friend and 258 Management client Lawrence Okolie, and later played laser tag with the ex-champion.
Joshua is a keen observer of all trends in boxing, and he has shown interest in the YouTube scene in the past. He has appeared in videos with KSI and Joe Weller, and even attended Deji vs Alex Wassabi back in March, which saw a host of social media stars compete in white collar bouts.
Speaking with Anthony Pompliano on his podcast recently, Paul talked about the pair's meeting in Dubai, saying: "To me that means the most when the legends of the sport are like 'this kid's legit and what he's doing for the sport is great'. It's easy to get lost in the comments and in the sheep hating on you.
"But then there's guys like Roy Jones Jr, Evander Holyfield, Tyson, all these legends showing love. Even Tyson Fury, current active champions, or Anthony Joshua. I was just with him and he was singing praises; that to me means more [than online hate]. I haven't really seen [many boxing legends badmouth him]. Which I guess is kind of the tell-tale sign; if your peers respect you then that's the most important."
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Joshua has previously been very complimentary towards Paul, declaring back in 2021 when he was just 4-0 as a professional that he was "great for boxing". At the time, the Brit was the unified heavyweight champion, and was about to defend his titles against Oleksandr Usyk in a mandatory defence, which he ultimately lost.
“[He’s] great for boxing," Joshua said during the September 2021 interview with IFL TV. "He’s trying, zero amateur experience, throwing himself in the deep end. He’ll probably learn a lot more than a lot of fighters, throwing himself in the deep end, putting himself under pressure. Good luck to him.”
Joshua is currently working towards a ring return after losing twice in a row to Usyk; the first consecutive losses of his career. He will return to action early next year in London, while Paul is eyeing a February date with Tommy Fury.
