American YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has admitted that the broken jaw he suffered during his loss to Anthony Joshua in December may have ended his boxing career.
Paul required surgery involving two titanium plates, and several teeth were also removed after Joshua broke his jaw in two places during their heavyweight clash in Miami.
The 29-year-old went six rounds with the two-time world heavyweight champion, but the contest was stopped after Paul failed to beat the count following multiple knockdowns.
“I’m getting some new scans in a couple of days of the jaw to get an update on the healing process. We’ll see what the doctors say. I’ll be able to get a more accurate timeframe, or can I even fight again? That is definitely in the realm of possibility,” Paul told Uncrowned on Monday.
“Most definitely [my boxing career could be over]. It just depends on how the bone heals. Then, also, there’s a tooth missing. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to get an implanted tooth of some sort. I’m not sure how much time that’s going to add to things, but we just have to see and figure out what the smartest thing is for me.”
Paul said the injury is still being monitored five months later, but noted that his jaw does feel a lot better as time goes by. He is staying in shape and enjoying some mitt work but needs to be cleared to spar.
Despite the injuries, Paul said he had no regrets about fighting Joshua, describing it as a win on many levels and a really good experience.
Paul’s defeat to Joshua was the second of his 14-fight professional career. The Joshua bout was his first against a world-class boxer, with his other fights coming against fighters past their prime or crossover stars from other sports. Prior to the fight, Paul had been ranked in the WBA cruiserweight rankings.
