Manny Pacquiao on Joshua-Paul fight: You can’t become a boxer overnight

Dubai: The recent heavyweight clash between British boxer Anthony Joshua and social media star-turned-fighter Jake Paul came as a surprise to many.

As expected, Joshua was at his dominant best, knocking out Paul and leaving him with a broken jaw.

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was unimpressed by the matchup, stressing that boxing is not a skill that can be mastered overnight.

“If you really analyse that fight, Jake Paul is still new to boxing,” Pacquiao said during a session at the World Sports Summit in Dubai on Monday. “It’s very difficult to improve your boxing skills — it takes time. You can’t just train a little in the corner and suddenly change your style.”

He added, “You need to develop your style, your focus in the ring, and gain real fighting experience to reach that level. You may think, ‘I can fight, I can do this,’ but performing in the ring is completely different.”

Successful surgery

Joshua, a two-time world heavyweight champion, initially struggled to pin Paul down in the early rounds. However, he eventually ended the contest in the sixth round with a massive right hand that broke Paul’s jaw.

Despite the injury, Paul reportedly drove himself to the hospital and later revealed he had suffered a double jaw fracture. The former YouTuber underwent successful surgery and insisted he has no intention of walking away from boxing.

“Jake Paul isn’t brand new anymore — he’s a champion in his own way — but this fight showed the difference,” Pacquiao continued. “Anthony Joshua has spent many years building his skills.”

“What I achieved in boxing came from hardship and relentless training. You can’t just step into professional boxing and expect it to be easy, even if you know how to fight. That was proved here.”

“Jake Paul learned a hard lesson — that boxing isn’t something you master in a day or two. And on that night, his jaw simply couldn’t hold up,” Pacquiao said.