American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul recently revealed a black eye. He sustained the injury during a rigorous sparring session with British heavyweight Lawrence Okolie. This comes as Paul intensifies preparations for his highly anticipated professional fight against Anthony Joshua later this month.
Jake Paul is set to face the former unified world champion, Anthony Joshua, on Friday, December 19. The event will take place at the Kaseya Centre in Miami. This will be a fully sanctioned professional boxing match.
The outcome will be officially added to both fighters’ professional records. A knockout victory is a distinct possibility, despite the unique nature of this high-profile contest.
A Bold Match-Up in Modern Boxing
This fight has been described as one of the boldest pairings in modern boxing history. Joshua, 36, is a two-time world heavyweight champion. Paul, 28, initially gained fame through YouTube and the Disney Channel before venturing into professional boxing.
Paul boasts an impressive boxing record. He has 12 wins from 13 contests. Seven of these victories came by knockout. His notable wins include former WBC champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He also defeated ex-UFC title holders Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.
Earlier this year, he also stopped former heavyweight legend Mike Tyson. However, Tyson was 58 years old at the time of that bout.
Intense Sparring Sessions
To prepare for what many consider the biggest challenge of his boxing career, Paul has been sparring with larger, more experienced opponents. These include former WBC and WBO cruiserweight champion Lawrence Okolie. Paul revealed the resulting bruising during a live appearance on Adin Ross’ Kick stream.
“I’m sparring a bunch of world champion heavyweights,” Paul stated. “I think Lawrence Okolie did that to me. He’s like six foot six, 270lbs.”
Okolie, 32, has recently enjoyed a resurgence in his career. He has won his last three bouts. Most recently, he beat Kevin Lerena on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s world title defence against Daniel Dubois at Wembley.
Weight Discrepancy for the Bout
Paul also disclosed his current weight of 215lbs. He plans to weigh in at approximately 220lbs on fight night. Anthony Joshua is expected to be significantly heavier. His weight is capped at 245lbs under the agreed fight terms.
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