Jake Paul Blames Lack Of Prep For Knockout Loss To Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul stepped into the ring with former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, but things didn’t go as planned for the 28-year-old. During the December 19 event, which was streamed on Netflix, the internet personality held his own against the England-born boxer for the first five rounds. The sixth round, however, is when things went downhill, as Jake was dealt a fierce right hand to the face, knocking him out and handing him the second loss of his professional career. After the fight, Jake lauded Joshua as an incredible athlete and gave the fighter his due credit. Now that he’s had a few days to reflect, the “Untold: Jake Paul” star shared with his brother, Logan Paul, what he’d change about the fight if he could.

On the latest episode of Logan’s “Impaulsive” podcast, Jake spoke with his brother about the highly anticipated showdown. According to Jake, the moment that Joshua knocked him out in the sixth round was all “mental.” He said, “He was imposing his will on me and being massive, and the big shots landing, it goes downhill from there.”

Jake, who’s fought Nate Diaz, Mike Tyson, and Julio César Chávez Jr., also reflected on what he would’ve done differently if given the chance. “I wish I had more than three weeks to prepare, put on more muscle,” he admitted. “Sit there and hit him. I should have gone to altitude to train, that was my biggest mistake.”

Altitude training, for those unfamiliar, is training with lower oxygen at higher altitudes to increase stamina. “I needed that extra level of cardio for this, and that can only come from going to altitude,” he said.

Following the fight, Jake shared a post on Instagram revealing his jaw had been broken in two places. He thanked his supporters for their well-wishes and later stated that he was doing OK. On the “Impaulsive” show, Jake clarified that he wasn’t surprised by Joshua’s power, but he joked that he “surprised my jaw.”

Despite the loss, Jake didn’t seem too upset about the match. In fact, he acknowledged the once-in-a-lifetime experience before sharing that he “learned a lot” from the fight. “I see where I could’ve done better,” he added. “I’m a little disappointed, but I see how good he is.”

Meanwhile, NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson weren’t as surprised by Joshua’s force in the ring. Speaking on their popular podcast, “Nightcap,” the pair praised Jake for stepping up to Joshua; however, they stated that the former Disney Channel star was underprepared for the moment. Sharpe agreed with Jake’s earlier statements about being underconditioned. Johnson, on the other hand, said Jake was “overwhelmed” after realizing he “bit off more than he can chew.”

A month before the fight occurred, Jake boasted about his ability to defeat Joshua in the ring. “This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime,” he said, according to The Blast. “When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title,” he continued. “To all my haters, this is what you wanted.” While Jake didn’t secure the outcome he had hoped for, Joshua tipped his hat to the YouTuber, saying he did “really well” against a competitor like himself. “It takes a real man to do that, and he deserves respect for trying and trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight,” he added.