When Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua weigh in on Thursday ahead of their eight round heavyweight fight on Dec. 19 in Miami, a considerable weight difference can be expected.
Former YouTuber Paul is stepping up a division from his usual home at cruiserweight to take on Joshua, who has been one of the largest of his heavyweight peers throughout his era.
Most recently, Joshua weighed in to face Daniel Dubois at 252 pounds. Paul, meanwhile, was 227 pounds when he met the ageing Mike Tyson in a heavyweight bout.
This isn’t the first time there has been a significant weight gap between two fighters though. Here are some other bouts that left the scales unbalanced.
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk (2024)
The Weight Gap: 55 lbs
Tyson Fury: 281 lbs
Oleksandr Usyk: 226 lbs
The Outcome: Usyk won via unanimous decision
Significance: Both men chose to come in heavier for the second bout than they did for their initial encounter in May 2024. Fury increased by a whopping 19 lbs as Usyk put on only 2 lbs – it was the Brit’s heaviest weight of his career. Many saw Fury’s decision to come in heavier as an attempt to bully Usyk and dominate the rematch.
Roy Jones Jr. vs. John Ruiz (2003)
The Weight Gap: 31 lbs
Roy Jones Jr.: 193 lbs
John Ruiz: 224 lbs
The Outcome: Jones Jr. won by a wide unanimous decision
Significance: Jones Jr. became the first former middleweight champion in over 100 years to capture a heavyweight title in a bout nicknamed Never Take A Heavyweight Lightly. Despite conceding weight, height and reach to the Puerto Rican, Jones Jr produced a masterclass in technical boxing and picked off the 31-year-old Ruiz at will.
Nikolai Valuev vs. David Haye (2009)
The Weight Gap: 98 lbs
Nikolai Valuev: ~316 lbs
David Haye: 218 lbs
The Outcome: Haye used his speed to secure a majority decision victory
Significance: This is one of the largest weight discrepancies in the history of world title fights and was literally billed as David vs Goliath. Haye scored the win and secured a broken hand in the process, labelling Valuev’s head as ‘the hardest thing I’ve ever hit. It’s like hitting a solid brick wall.’ With the win, the Londoner became the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
Nikolai Valuev vs. John Ruiz (2005)
The Weight Gap: ~86 lbs
Nikolai Valuev: 320+ lbs
John Ruiz: ~238 lbs
The Outcome: Valuev won a controversial majority decision to become the tallest and heaviest champion in history.
Significance: This one was extremely controversial given the weight gap between the fighters – it also infuriated the crowd due to Valuev’s reliance on clinching and holding, despite his significant size advantage. Valuev’s victory also made him the first Russian world heavyweight champion. Ruiz was infuriated after the fight famously stating, “Boxing is the only sport where you can get robbed without a gun.”
Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller (2023)
The Weight Gap: 94 lbs
Daniel Dubois: 239 lbs
Jarrell Miller: 333 lbs
The Outcome: Dubois stopped Miller in the 10th round.
Significance: Despite the massive weight disadvantage, Dubois’ conditioning allowed him to outwork the much heavier Miller and he secured a victory over Miller with seconds left in their 10-round heavyweight contest in Ridyah. It was a late onslaught from the Brit that tipped the fight in his favour after Miller absorbed many of the punches thrown in the early rounds. Dubois also landed a career-high 208 punches in the bout.
Fabio Wardley vs. Dennis Lewandowski (2019)
The Weight Gap: ~120 lbs
Fabio Wardley: ~230 lbs
Dennis Lewandowski: ~350 lbs
The Outcome: Wardley won via TKO in the 3rd round.
Significance: One of the most extreme weight differences seen in a modern professional bout. Wardley handed Lewandowski his first defeat inside the distance to secure his seventh straight win and sixth by stoppage at the time. The Ipswich born fighter began to string together combinations in the third, blooded Lewandowski’s nose and dropped him to his knee twice with right uppercuts – the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight in Round 3.
