Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua's super-fight has encountered its first big roadblock as both teams entered 'advanced' fight talks.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul wants to take on two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua in a massive clash next year. Despite the farcical nature of the mismatch, it has moved to the top of both fighters' priority lists.
Joshua has been out of action since being viciously knocked out by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last summer. Meanwhile, Paul defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June and would have to bulk back to heavyweight for the first time since his fight with Mike Tyson last November.
On paper, a fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul would make very little sense, and could even be a dangerous mismatch. The giant heavyweight is 6'6 and tips the scales around 252lb, while 6'2 Paul has fought as light as 184lb within the last few years.
And Sky Sports News reports that there is 'no guarantee' that the British Boxing Board of Control would be willing to sanction the fight. Promoter Eddie Hearn noted that to have the fight happen at a massive UK stadium like Wembley, they would need to apply specially to the Board.
Instead, Hearn claims, it is more likely that the fight would take place in America. There, Paul is one of boxing's biggest draws, selling out the Honda Center and the Amalie Arena within the last year, either side of a massive 72,300 crowd for his fight with Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium.
Hearn spoke to the Stomping Ground recently, where he noted that talks between the two sides were now at an 'advanced' stage. He was speaking from New York City, where Most Valuable Promotions are based, and noted meetings may be happening while he is in America.
Asked where talks were at this stage, Hearn told host Charlie Parsons: "I would say advanced is probably the word that you clickbaiters would use. I never really expected this fight to happen but the more conversations I have, honestly, the more I think there's a very good chance it could happen.
"I'm here in New York, lot of meetings to be had. I believe Jake Paul wants the fight, don't ask me why. He believes he can win the fight and that's even more dangerous, to be honest with you."