Jake Paul says his boxing career is “most definitely” in doubt after the injuries he suffered in his December loss to Anthony Joshua. The 29-year-old said he is still waiting to see how his jaw heals after the heavyweight fight in Miami left him with two breaks in two places, two titanium plates and some removed teeth.
Paul and Joshua went six rounds before the bout was stopped when Paul failed to beat the count after repeated knockdowns. The result was a brutal reset for a fighter who began boxing professionally in 2020 and had spent much of his rise facing boxers well past their prime or former mixed martial artists. This time, the two-time world heavyweight champion left him dealing with an injury list that has turned his return into a medical question as much as a sporting one.
Paul said he is getting new scans of his jaw in a couple of days to check the healing process and said that should give him a better sense of whether he can fight again. “I think I’ll be able to get a more accurate timeframe, or can I even fight again? That is definitely in the realm of possibility,” he said. For now, he added, he needs to be cleared to spar before he can think about stepping back into the ring.
“It does feel a lot better as weeks go by, but I definitely need to get cleared to be able to spar,” Paul said. “I’m staying in shape and enjoying some mitt work. I’m always in the gym regardless.” He also said the setback is not just about bone healing. “Most definitely. I think it just depends on how the bone heals, and then also there’s a tooth missing - I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to get an implant of some sort,” he said.
That added uncertainty matters because Paul had dropped out of the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings after the defeat and, earlier this month, Nakisa Bidarian said Paul was eyeing a return to cruiserweight. The next step now is not a promoter’s announcement or a new opponent, but those scans in a couple of days. They will help determine whether the comeback talk survives the injury, or whether boxing has to wait longer for Paul to come back at all.
