Tom Aspinall calls out Anthony Joshua’s ego and issues Jake Paul warning – ‘Dragged into a scrap’

Tom Aspinall has revealed what he thinks Anthony Joshua needs to avoid when fighting Jake Paul.

Paul and Joshua are gearing up for their heavyweight clash this evening in Miami.

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They are set to box across eight rounds, although both men have promised to cut the action short by delivering a knockout.

With 25 of his 28 wins coming by way of KO, Joshua is more likely to be the one sending the YouTuber-turned-boxer down to the canvas.

Granted, the Briton is the overwhelming favourite to win by any means, as Paul steps up for the biggest challenge of his career.

But Apsinall, the UFC heavyweight champion, revealed a looming concern he has for his compatriot’s comeback bout.

“The only caveat that I’ve got in my mind with Anthony Joshua is sometimes, like when he fought [Wladimir] Klitschko,” Aspinall said on a video shared to his YouTube channel.

“And we’re comparing Klitschko to Jake Paul, which is crazy, but Joshua does let his ego take hold a little bit and get dragged into a scrap sometimes.

“That’s what he did against [Andy] Ruiz in the first fight. That’s what he did against [Daniel] Dubois when he fought him a couple of fights ago.

“So sometimes you start seeing Anthony Joshua get hit with the punches and he likes to trade a little bit too much, which is where Jake Paul could potentially have some success.”

While he acknowledged the potential weakness that Paul could take advantage of, Aspinall reiterated the danger that Joshua’s talent poses regardless.

Aspinall continued: “That being said [his] boxing pedigree [as an] Olympic champion doesn’t get much higher.

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“Two-time world heavyweight champion, fought all the best guys, bar Tyson Fury. He knows what it’s like to be in there under the pressure against these big, massive guys who are big, massive punchers.

“He knows how to ride the shots, he knows how to finish a fight. Once he gets guys hurt, Anthony Joshua is absolutely clinical.

“[He is a] big guy, super athletic, loads of power, and he should win pretty easily. But this is combat sports. You just never know.”

Does Jake Paul actually stand a chance against Anthony Joshua?

The American is certainly of the belief that he can beat AJ, despite the glaring gulf of experience and talent between the pair.

But every underdog in the sport has a chance of landing a well-timed shot that shocks their opponent, as shown by Andy Ruiz Jr when he knocked Joshua out in 2019.

Paul has yet to demonstrate punching power that even comes close to the likes of Ruiz Jr, and is expected to be handed a swift defeat by Joshua.

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Given the difference in their respective in-ring experiences, it seems Paul’s fate in the ring with Joshua is already sealed.

But should he somehow manage to prove the masses wrong, it will go down in history as one of the greatest upsets.

With a potential clash with long-term rival Fury touching distance away for AJ should he emerge victorious, there is a lot at stake for the Brit.