George Groves has criticised Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn for selling out Anthony Joshua ahead of his mega-money showdown with Jake Paul.
The former two-time heavyweight champion returns to the ring for the first time in 15 months to take on the American on December 19 in Miami.
The sanctioned fight has attracted criticism from all quarters, including from the undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, who suggested Paul’s life could be in danger.
Both fighters are set to line their pockets with speculation that it could generate around $140million in revenue when all is said and done.
Joshua, 36, has suggested that it still wouldn’t be his biggest payday.
George Groves hits out at Eddie Hearn
There’s a valid argument that Joshua has risked his reputation by agreeing to fight Paul, who rose to fame through his YouTube channel.
Paul’s previous bouts include a farcical exhibition bout with a 58-year-old Mike Tyson and a handful of boxing fights against former UFC fighters Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva.
His only defeat came against Tommy Fury almost three years ago.
Groves, who held the WBA super-middleweight title, believes Joshua’s promoter Hearn needs to take responsibility for making the fight happen.
He told Foot Italia: “Eddie Hearn has sold AJ out. Promoters aren’t driven by the same things that fighters are driven by.
“They’re driven by money. The financial gain they get is their legacy. Wouldn’t it have been cool if Joshua just said, ‘f*** that, I’m actually a professional.
“‘I’m going to fight someone who’s worthy of sharing a ring with me’. I think it would’ve been tough for most people, but I would walk away if I were Joshua. It’s beneath me. Let someone else take the money. Let someone else sell out.”
Joshua previously quizzed on the financial package involved in the Paul fight, in which he responded: “I want it all, I want more.”
Groves added: “I don’t know his finances, but say he’s got £250 million, right? You don’t need anymore.
“You can always take more, but you don’t need more. If you’re sacrificing legacy or spirit, at what point is money enough? And the promoters will say, ‘you gotta do it’. They’re driven by money. The financial gain they get is their legacy.”
A man on a mission 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/2W9Bb6eJHX
— Anthony Joshua (@anthonyjoshua) December 16, 2025
Thousands of tickets unsold for Paul vs Joshua
Groves confirmed that he will be in Miami to watch the action unfold, but thousands are planning to stay away, with tickets still for sale.
It’s evidence that boxing fans may be growing wise or getting frustrated with Paul’s controversial bouts.
Paul versus Joshua is taking place at The Kaseya Centre, which has a capacity of around 20,000.
Even the cheapest ticket, which costs $62, remains on sale to the general public.
It appears most would rather watch the action unfold from the comfort of their own sofas, with the fight being shown live on Netflix.
The streaming costs will be the heavyweight money maker. In comparison, Netflix saw Paul’s fight with Tyson peak at 65 million concurrent streams, making it the most-streamed global sporting event in history.
