Jake Paul wants to fight Anthony Joshua. Wild, right? The same guy who just went eight rounds with a 58-year-old Mike Tyson now believes he can take down one of the most dangerous heavyweights alive. But here’s where it gets even better, he doesn’t want to fight him now. Nope. He’s setting the date for 2026. And Joe Rogan? Well, he’s got a theory about that.

On the latest JRE Fight Companion, Rogan couldn’t help but poke fun at Paul’s master plan. “Jake wants to fight Anthony Joshua now?” Rogan asked, before laughing at the two-year delay. “So he wants to fight him in 2026. What about now? What about fight him now? He’s like, no, I want to wait till 2026. Like okay.” And if you are guessing it’s to bulk up, hold on. Joe Rogan has a different take: “To put on all the st—-ds. Every st—-d they have.”

Now, is Jake really planning to juice up like a cartoon supervillain? Who knows. But Rogan’s sarcasm stings for a reason. Let’s not forget, Paul already admitted he won’t even consider fighting a wrecking machine like David Benavidez, but he’s totally convinced he can wipe the floor with Joshua.“I know that I will f—ing beat Anthony Joshua’s a–,” Paul declared. “He doesn’t have a chin, and he has no skill.” Conveniently, he skipped the part where Joshua nearly sent Francis Ngannou’s head into orbit.

So, why Joshua? Why now? Well, Jake Paul didn’t just wake up one day and decide he wanted a piece of a two-time heavyweight champion. This sudden fixation isn’t some calculated career move, it’s what happens when all your other plans go up in smoke.

Paul’s been chasing a blockbuster name for months, and it hasn’t been going well. Remember the failed Canelo Alvarez fight? The one that crashed and burned when Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh allegedly stepped in with a $100M deal to keep Canelo busy elsewhere. So, with that gone, ‘The Problem Child’ needed a new target. And who better than Anthony Joshua? A heavyweight superstar who just so happens to be coming off a brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. It’s a match made in combat sports chaos. But does anyone actually think Paul has a shot at beating A.J.?

Is Jake Paul’s latest fantasy fight even remotely realistic?

Look, ‘The Problem Child’ can talk all he wants about his ability, but does anyone else believe it? Eddie Hearn, the man behind Matchroom Boxing, certainly isn’t convinced. But he’s also not totally dismissing it. “To be honest, I look at it and I think Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua, for me, we’d do it for the banter,” Hearn said on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel. “A.J. would fight Jake Paul. He’d fight anyone to be honest with you. If Jake Paul wants to step up and fight Anthony Joshua, he’ll need the relevant insurance.”

And about that 2026 timeline? Hearn’s got jokes. “The only thing that was disappointing was he says 2026. That’s like me saying, ‘L.A. Olympics for the surfing in 2028, I’ll be there.’ Do it in 2025 if you really want to do it. You’re not going to get really much better at this stage.” Hearn thinks Jake is just stalling. But little does he know, Paul actually needs this ‘bulking’ phase more than he’d like to admit.

Joshua, meanwhile, isn’t slamming the door shut. According to Hearn, the former champ’s response was simple, “Of course I’d fight him.” Originally, Joshua was expected to face Tyson Fury, but with Fury announcing his retirement after losing to Oleksandr Usyk, that fight is off the table. Now, Joshua is left looking for options, and if Jake Paul can make it rain with enough money, who’s to say A.J. won’t take the easy payday?

Would this fight prove anything about Jake Paul’s boxing skills? Not a chance. But would it make an obscene amount of money? Absolutely. And for a boxer like Joshua, who some believe is past his prime, the financial offer might be too sweet to ignore.

So, what do you think? Will Jake Paul actually step in with a real heavyweight, or is this just another chapter in his never-ending hype train? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!