Jake Paul has claimed he is a superior boxer to Anthony Joshua ahead of their highly anticipated bout on Friday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
The contest, sanctioned by the Florida Athletic Commission, is a professional fight scheduled for eight three-minute rounds.
Jake Paul, who holds a professional record of 12 wins and one loss, is coming off a victory over former middleweight world champion Julio César Chávez Jr in June.
Read Also: Anthony Joshua urged to KO Jake Paul in Miami showdown
Joshua remains resolute
Joshua is confident of extending his winning run and insists he has the edge over the former unified heavyweight champion.
“In terms of boxing, I’m a better boxer than AJ, which is hilarious to say,” Paul said.
“He’s got two left feet; he’s stiff. If I were his coach, I’d put him in a dance class first before trying to box.
“I’ve brought in the right sparring partners to help me prepare so I can get looks that are similar to his. That’s been the strategy, but I’m going to go in there and display all of my skills.
“No one has done more for the sport of boxing in the last decade than I. So if people cared about boxing, they would want me to win. I understand the angle they’re coming from because he’s been doing this all his life, but I think I’m more important for boxing.”
Joshua, however, has framed the fight as a responsibility to defend the integrity of the sport and silence critics of Paul’s rise.
“With [Francis] Ngannou, I remember he beat up Tyson Fury over 10 rounds, and somehow Fury got the decision,” Anthony Joshua said.
“When I fought Ngannou, I knew there was a lot riding on it.
“With this one, it feels like I’m being pulled in to save the purists of boxing because people don’t like that I’m fighting Jake.
“If we look at the people who don’t want me to be here but want me to put an end to ‘the Jake Paul show’, I understand it. That’s why I feel like I’m carrying boxing on my back with this fight.”
