Joshua & Paul Produce a Sorry Display and the Worst Aspect is More is to Follow

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in stunned disbelief after a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact registered to his rattled senses.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a clean power shot meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last understood how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Instead of glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and crude for almost five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered helpless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, until then, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the boxer he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "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 bit longer than expected, but the straight right eventually reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he added an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his last defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting big men in the world are the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Response

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful celebrity contests. Paul seemed genuinely proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an radiograph, with the pair of breaks marked in red.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally faded presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim summary of the evening as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bravado and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."