Anthony Joshua weighs 243.4 pounds for his Netflix fight with Jake Paul, who is nearly 30 pounds lighter, raising safety concerns.
MIAMI: Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (pic) holds a significant weight advantage over Jake Paul ahead of their Friday bout.
At Thursday’s weigh-in in Miami, Joshua registered 243.4 pounds, nearly 30 pounds heavier than Paul’s 216.6 pounds.
The 36-year-old British fighter was contractually required to weigh 245 pounds or less for the eight-round contest.
The fight has sparked widespread safety concerns within the boxing community.
Joshua is considered a major and potentially dangerous step up in competition for the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
The event will be streamed live on Netflix, with the two men reportedly splitting a purse of $184 million.
That figure would make it one of the most lucrative boxing events in history.
Joshua’s long-time promoter Eddie Hearn previously called the bout a “catastrophic mismatch”.
Joshua himself stirred controversy with his pre-fight comments about his opponent.
“Zero part of me,” Joshua said when asked if he would take it easy on Paul.
“I’m a very respectful guy, brought up by a good family, but if I can kill you, I will kill you. That’s just how I am.” – AFP