Will Jake Paul fight damage Anthony Joshua's legacy? It won't even be remembered

Remember the night you fell in love with boxing?

OK, maybe you didn't fall head-over-heels in love with it, but you remember the first time you watched it. You close your eyes, and you can see it; smell it, almost. You remember how it made you feel.

For many, Anthony Joshua provided those moments. You knew nothing about the sport, but you had a sense of who was winning. It was after all, simply a fight. You couldn't take your eyes away and jealousy rattled through your bones because despite your best efforts, you couldn't get a ticket to Wembley Stadium that night.

You didn't know anything about boxing, but you knew this was a big deal, because Joshua was fighting.

"AJ."

He won. Knocked the other guy out and held up all those belts. There was that big uppercut which sent a jolt of excitement down your own spine, too.

You never forget your first.

Even people who are indifferent about boxing, those who are blessed not to have the sport dominate their lives, remember April 29, 2017: When Anthony Joshua beat Wladimir Klitschko.

If that night was the only "legacy" Joshua leaves British boxing, beating Klitschko in what many people have called the greatest sporting event they've ever watched. That would be special enough.

But it's not. He has given so much more.

That's why those who believe his fight against Jake Paul will "ruin" or "tarnish" his legacy would do well to remember what else he has done for the sport.

Let's firstly address the word itself, which has been on everyone's lips since the fight was announced.

Legacy (adj.): "The long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person's life."

Events (plural). Actions (plural).

In the case of Joshua: An Olympic gold medal, two-time unified heavyweight champion of the world, 28 wins, 24 by knockout, just four defeats.

Thousands of people cramming themselves into mega-stadiums just to get a glimpse him, which wasn't the norm before he arrived on the scene.

But Joshua's true legacy? Think of where British boxing would be without him.

The millions he has generated for a sport many wish would just go away. Joshua took boxing from the arenas to the stadia. From the fringes to the red carpet.

What about the things you don't see?

The kids who placed their trembling hands into a pair of gloves for the first time, many probably avoiding a life of crime -- or worse -- because of Joshua. The fighters coming through now who started getting serious because they wanted what AJ had.

They wanted to be like AJ.

The money he has raised for charity and the gyms he has helped save. The run down, rickety, musty old buildings which stand as the beating hearts of the communities they serve. The buildings you didn't even know existed. We'll never know the amount of lives Joshua has changed by turning up to those gyms and spending time with young fighters.

The stuff he does away from the cameras.

The everyday interactions on the street, people who will forever torment their envious friends with the story of "when I met AJ." Will fighting Jake Paul tarnish this legacy? Is it really so wrong?

This is boxing. If it makes money, it makes sense. And it's not new. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.

An attention seeking, in your face, ridiculous, divisive sport. By the way, that's why we love it. Do you remember when Muhammad Ali fought a mixed rules exhibition fight against professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976? You probably don't.

It was a stunt, a laugh, a scheme to make money and turn heads. Does anyone care now? Not really.

Joshua's fight against Paul, whatever you think of it, will simply be a footnote on his glittering career when all is said and done. Something you discuss fleetingly over a beer.

"Remember that time AJ fought Jake Paul?"

So, before you reach for the keyboard and berate Joshua, or Paul for that matter, for taking a fight which you will watch and read about, think about those memorable nights.

Think about why you're watching.

Because it's Anthony Joshua, for crying out loud.