🔗 Share this article

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this rubbish," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair much more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul could not get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Without the gas to escape any more, and reduced to slipping to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had seemed a sad imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than expected, but the straight right finally reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he added an excuse for his own labored performance. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising force. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Reaction

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality crossover fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim summary of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."