Jake Paul is less than three weeks away from his bout with former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, and a well-known movie producer is reportedly confident in the 28-year-old YouTube star’s ability to emerge from the fight victorious.
Producer Jon Peters–he of A Star Is Born, Vision Quest, Batman and Ali fame–is reportedly set to dip into his pockets to the tune of seven figures to place a bet on Paul to beat Joshua on Dec. 19 in Miami. That may sound outrageous, but if Paul actually wins, Peters stands to get a lot richer.
Peters all-in on Paul
According to TMZ, Peters is wagering $5 million on Paul. He made the decision to drop that much after a recent conversation with the internet influencer, who is 12-1 in his pro boxing career.
“We’re told Peters and Paul recently had a lengthy chat about the bout … and the film producer was fully convinced,” TMZ wrote.
“We’re told Paul assured Peters he’s ‘gonna kick the s–t outta [Joshua]’ at the Kaseya Center in Miami … and that was music to his ears.”
Not surprisingly, the 36-year-old Joshua is a heavy favorite (-1100), according to the latest odds. Paul is currently listed at +650, and TMZ estimates that depending on when Peters placed the bet, he could stand to make $30-40 million or more if an upset occurs.
The outlet adds that “plenty of people” have told Peters he’s “crazy” for the bet, but that didn’t deter the Superman Returns executive.
Joshua a late replacement for fight
Originally, World Boxing Association lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis was supposed to be Paul’s opponent in a fight on Nov. 14, but the matchup was canceled due to Davis’ legal issues, which include domestic violence allegations made by a former girlfriend.
“Gervonta Davis is an actual walking human piece of garbage. Working with him is an absolute nightmare,” Paul said after their meeting was called off.
“The unprofessionalism, the bizarre requests, the showing up hours late to shoots. To the numerous arrests and related accusations and lawsuits. If you support this man you support the most vile sin a man can commit.”
On Nov. 12, Ring Magazine reported that Paul would be fighting Joshua instead. The bout will air on Netflix on Dec. 19.
