Bermane Stiverne may have scored an own goal. Reportedly, he suggested that Jake Paul might not step in for the fight against Anthony Joshua due to an injury. The former WBC heavyweight champion later admitted, “It might be a lie, or it might be true, but I don’t know. That’s what I was hearing, and it wouldn’t surprise me.” But a quick look at Paul suggests Stiverne may have been partially correct.

The December 19 Netflix card at the Kaseya Center in Miami is still on. However, the YouTuber-turned-fighter does have an injury – just not in the way Stiverne claimed. Jake Paul has a crooked nose, and he credits Cuban heavyweight Frank Sanchez for reshaping his face. Stiverne had claimed Lawrence Okolie gave Paul a black eye. So what precisely happened? Paul, now a cruiserweight contender, spilled the tea during a recent interview with Pat McAfee.

Jake Paul’s nose cuts weight – by shifting left

The chaos written on Jake’s face was hard to miss. So the College GameDay analyst asked, “You broke your nose. Is this new? I’m seeing your nose. Your nose—is that from the same?” He had barely finished before the former Disney star admitted, “It’s getting more crooked, brother.”

He acknowledged that his nose had shifted a few millimeters from its original alignment. The artwork was probably a gift from Frank Sanchez. It has only been a few days since he shared a photo standing alongside heavyweights Jared Anderson, Lawrence Okolie, and Sanchez.

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He brought in the contenders to help him prepare for the fight against Anthony Joshua. Paul admitted, “It’s bad,” which drew immediate laughter in the studio. Comparing himself to Squidward from Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, Paul later pointed at Sanchez when McAfee showed the picture.

For Paul, taking shots from renowned heavyweights may be nothing short of a badge of honor.

Paul is ready to meet Anthony Joshua

But it also shows how seriously he has been taking this latest challenge against Anthony Joshua. Whatever criticism one might have of the Briton, his loss to Daniel Dubois, or his elbow injury, his punching power cannot be denied.

In fact, a deeper look suggests the stakes are higher for Joshua than for Jake Paul. So one can expect him to come in with a full gas tank to stop the self-proclaimed boxing disruptor.

In the Netflix trailer, Jake Paul said, “They say I’m unproven, untested, That I talk big and fight small. Well, surprise, bit**,” before adding, “This is the fight that shuts everyone up.” To that end, he sounded confident Joshua won’t have his way when they meet next week.

Speculating on how the fight may play out, Paul said the opening round could help him gauge AJ’s speed, style, and footwork. Once he figures that out, he will set up his shots when the British heavyweight begins to tire. He predicted the eight-round sanctioned bout could end by the fifth or sixth round.

That likely reflects how sparring with heavyweights helped him devise a potential game plan. With knockout rates above 70%, Anderson, Okolie, and Sanchez must have given Paul significant insight, both for preparation and for understanding what to expect from a fellow heavy hitter.

So if Jake Paul is embracing the crookedness of his nose, fans can rest assured they may witness fireworks when he steps in against Anthony Joshua.

What’s your take on Paul vs. AJ? Which round do you think the fight will end in?