🔗 Share this article

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the canvas in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to say "Whoa!" as the force of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this garbage," snapped the referee, encapsulating the sorry spectacle far more effectively than any observer else could.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the result of a proper punch ensured Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the referee called the contest over. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and resorting to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had looked like a sad imitation of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"That was not the best display," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the straight right finally reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to send Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful celebrity fights. Paul seemed truly satisfied and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures marked in crimson.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a similarly diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah remains unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the hospital, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with gory bravado and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I love this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."