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Jake Paul filing lawsuit ahead of Anthony Joshua fight

Originally posted on MMA Weekly | By Joshua Ryan | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 4:44 PM ET

Throughout his rise in the boxing ring, one constant clouding Jake Paul's success has been the question of legitimacy in his results.

'The Problem Child' has received much praise from spectators for the approach to his career. The 28-year-old has seemingly fought the right opponent at the correct time, managing to ease his way into the headlines without rushing into a career-altering fight too soon.

While this approach has helped him build his image in the sport and has made him one of the most spoken-about active competitors, it comes with some negatives.

Ever since the influencer started making noise in the ring, doubt has been thrown at him. Many fans and fighters alike believe Jake Paul rigs his fights, paying his opponents off to take a dive in hopes of keeping his record relatively clean.

After years of allegations, Paul is finally taking action. The social media star decided to hire Elon Musk's ex-attorney to counter those staged fight claims.

The first to fall victim to Jake Paul's lawsuit response is former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.

When asked who he thinks will win between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua ahead of their bout on October 19, Wilder revealed his belief that the fight is scripted.

"For me, in my opinion, I think it's scripted a little bit," Wilder said regarding the Paul vs. Joshua fight. "Because of the weight difference and Joshua's a former champion."

"He's active. This is going to be the first time we see Paul fighting an active fighter... Like I said, I think it's scripted."

In response, Paul confirmed a lawsuit will be filed against the 'Bronze Bomber'.

"I gave them a cease and desist letter in their email for lying on my name," Paul said. "Then the lawsuit's coming right after because these people won't stop lying."

"I honestly take it as a compliment, but people need to shut the f*** up. And Deontay Wilder, you know, he's been hit a lot by Tyson Fury. So, he's clearly not the smartest guy."

"There's nothing in the contract. AJ can attest to it. We're going to war, and that's, at the end of the day, what all my fights have been like."