Love Island personality Jake Cornish has publicly expressed his desire to face fellow TV star Joey Essex in the boxing ring, a challenge he’s setting his sights on following his upcoming Misfits Duel 2 bout against Wil Anderson.
Cornish, who gained prominence during the seventh season of the UK reality series Love Island, has transitioned into influencer boxing. The Bristol native is scheduled to compete against another former “Islander,” Wil Anderson, at Derby’s Vaillant Live on Saturday, March 7, 2026, as part of the Misfits Duel 2 event.
Despite his immediate focus on Anderson, Cornish has openly stated his preferred opponent for a subsequent fight, assuming he secures a win. The reality television figure believes a bout with Joey Essex would generate substantial excitement within the crossover boxing community.
Cornish’s boxing journey began in August 2024 at Misfits & DAZN X Series 17, where he experienced a unanimous decision loss to Mike Edwards. His upcoming clash with Anderson represents a critical opportunity to demonstrate his abilities and build momentum in his burgeoning boxing career.
Nevertheless, the 28-year-old is already contemplating future opponents and is convinced that a fight against Joey Essex would be highly entertaining. Cornish noted that fan response was overwhelmingly positive when he initially proposed the idea online.
He explained, “I wanted to fight Joey Essex. I feel like when I put a statement out that me and Joey Essex would fight, my DMs were going crazy. The comments, people messaging me, tweeting me, I feel like that’d be a good fight.”
Cornish further indicated his willingness to adjust his weight class to facilitate the fight, should Essex express interest. He specifically mentioned, “I’d come down in weight and I feel like me and Joey would be a good fight.”
The Love Island alumnus confirmed he has already tried to contact Essex personally to initiate discussions about a potential match. “I’ve messaged him, he’s seen my messages, he’s seen my mates’ messages,” Cornish stated, adding, “Listen, respect to him as he’s training but I feel like me and Joey could put on a good show.”
Essex, for his part, has only one professional boxing match under his belt, an August 2025 encounter against Portugal’s Numeiro at Manchester Arena. That four-round contest proved to be highly engaging, with Essex emerging victorious in what many observers lauded as the ‘fight of the night’.
This impressive performance by Essex is why Cornish is confident their potential matchup would thrill fans. However, Cornish’s immediate focus remains entirely on his upcoming fight with Wil Anderson at Misfits Duel 2, with the Essex showdown a future prospect.