Jake Paul is said to be getting 'beaten up' in sparring just days before his contentious boxing fight with Anthony Joshua.
The two men will do battle in Miami, with the bout on Netflix expected to be watched by millions of fans from all over the world.
It is a highly controversial bout, especially with Paul being a former YouTuber. Though he's forged an impressive reputation for himself as a professional, Joshua is a two-time world champion. Therefore, their CVs couldn't be more contrasting.
Now, just days before the bout, Ryan Garcia has told The Sun that Paul has been getting 'beat up' in sparring behind the scenes.
“I heard word that he’s getting beat up in sparring by these heavyweights," he said.
"And these aren’t even Anthony Joshua, bro. S**t, I’m leaking some s**t. But… [Joshua] has got 50lbs on him.”
Paul has been working tirelessly to boost his chances of victory. Lawrence Okolie and Cuban star Frank Sanchez have both reportedly formed part of his prepatations.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua will fight in the early hours of Saturday morning
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Yet Joshua will start as the overwhelming favourite, despite the Watford-born star being absent from the ring ever since his defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September 2024.
Paul, however, is relishing being the underdog. Speaking on social media, the 28-year-old admitted he was 'crazy' by saying that his skills were superior to those of his rival.
"To me the weight doesn't matter, that weight is not gonna make a difference," he said.
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Five facts about boxing that fans might not know | GBNEWS/PA"It's gonna be the skills that win this fight and I believe my skills are better than his.
"Which is a crazy thing to say, but he's a very basic fighter and he's gotten to where he's at because of the size and because of the power.
"The skills are what's gonna win this fight and he's seen that with Usyk when he fought him. I believe it's gonna be very similar to that."
As for Joshua, the Briton previously told Paul that he would attempt to drain the American of all his energy before delivering a crucial knockout blow.
“I’ve just seen in fights when I can see someone’s energy frequency leaving their body," he said.
"And that’s what my goal is, to do the same to you.
Jake Paul's sole boxing defeat was against Tommy Fury in 2023
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“You have that instinct. You can see it when you’re fighting.
"You can just see a small glimmer of someone that’s just about to start fading, and then you just keep exploiting that, keep exploiting that, keep exploiting that until some people give up, some people get knocked out.
"We’ll figure it out.
“But as I said, for me, it’s not just going in there and being dominant physically. I want to break him down, spiritually and mentally."
How the action plays out remains to be seen.
The clash will take place over eight rounds, with eight bouts on the undercard.