‘Freak show’ – Eddie Hearn confirms rules for Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul fight

Eddie Hearn insists Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul won’t follow the same format as ‘The Problem Child’s’ upcoming clash with Gervonta Davis.

Paul and Davis are set to square off on November 14 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Due to the massive weight disparity between the two combatants, the fight can’t be sanctioned as a professional contest and will therefore take place under an exhibition rule set.

Paul is a natural cruiserweight (200lbs) who tipped the scales at 227lbs for his heavyweight bout with Mike Tyson last year.

Davis is the reigning WBA lightweight champion (135lbs) and has never competed higher than super lightweight (140lbs).

The exact rules are yet to be confirmed, although exhibitions are usually non-scoring bouts with modified gloves and rounds.

This won’t be the case should Paul decide to fight Joshua next year, as is currently being discussed.

AJ’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insists the only way they take the fight is if it is under the Marquess of Queensberry rules that govern professional boxing.

“I hate exhibitions,” Hearn told Ring Magazine. “If you’re going to be taken seriously, then you fight under Queensberry rules.

“And the reality is this [fight with Davis] is not boxing. It’s entertainment and I get it.

“I can’t sit here and say, ‘This is disgusting. It’s this or that.’ It’s just entertainment, but it’s not boxing, so we need to separate the two.

“Anything under the Queensberry rules, in a real fight, that’s boxing.

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“This is just an entertainment format that’s just a freak show. And the one thing we said to Nakisa and those guys was, ‘Look, if you want a real fight, it’s real rules.’

“I would never let AJ go in there with 14-ounce gloves or two-minute rounds or all this [expletive]. It’s a real fight.”

There is no guarantee that the British Boxing Board of Control would sanction Joshua vs Paul, due to the vast gap in experience.

The fight is far more likely to take place in the United States, where there are several sanctioning bodies that are far more lenient to these types of fights.

Paul fought a 58-year-old Tyson under the auspices of the Texas Boxing Commission last November.

They would therefore be the early favourites to oversee Paul vs Joshua.