Anthony Joshua's Surprising Take On Jake Paul And YouTube Boxing

If you thought Anthony Joshua was some sort of Jake Paul "hater", then you (along with the rest us) would be sorely mistaken.

It turns out AJ is actually a massive fan of the YouTuber-cum-boxer and thinks he's "great" for the sport.

Instagram/@jakepaul

24-year-old Jake, along with his older brother Logan, have taken the boxing world by storm in recent years.

Their trash talking outside the ring, as well as their half-decent ability inside it, has earned both siblings fights against some of the biggest combat sports athletes on the planet.

But while some fans have seen the duo as a breath of fresh air for the sport, others haven't been too keen on them.

Instagram/@anthonyjoshua

Interestingly, current heavyweight world champion Joshua falls into that first set of people who actually don't mind them.

In fact, AJ has commended Paul for "throwing himself in the deep end".

"[He's] great for boxing. Good luck to him, he's trying," Joshua told iFL TV.

"Zero amateur experience, throwing himself in the deep end.

"I guarantee you he'll probably learn a lot more than a lot of fighters who are just half-hearted with it.

"Man is throwing himself in the deep end, putting himself under pressure. When you can deal with that amount of pressure, you have to get better at it. Good luck to him."

Jake is fresh off the back of a big win over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.

Neither boxer looked particularly convincing during the bout, but Jake did enough to get the victory in the judges' eyes.

Beating a mixed martial arts great means Jake is now squarely in line for a shot at an actual boxer.

There's certainly plenty of options for him to choose from with countless boxers and MMA stars lining up to get their hands on him.

Although it seems Jake probably won't have to look too far to find a worthy opponent, with a grudge match against Tommy Fury looking more likely than ever.

Granted, Fury may be a former Love Island contestant, but he currently boasts an undefeated record inside the ring and has openly expressed his desire to become world champion one day - just like his older brother Tyson.

But all that aside, it's the non-stop back-and-forth between these two - culminating in a heated backstage altercation recently - that makes this bout a promoter's dream.

Topics: Logan Paul, Boxing News, Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Jake Paul, Australia, YouTube

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry