Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Whoa!" as the force of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.
"The audience didn't spend money to see this garbage," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal affair far more succinctly than anyone else managed to.
Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run 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 punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an utterly dazed moment.
So this is how it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.
It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the official called the charade to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.
An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for Joshua
Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for almost five stanzas.
Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to escape any longer, and resorting to slipping to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, until then, he had seemed a sad imitation of the fighter he was in 2017.
Joshua's Post-Fight Comments
"That was not the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination."
Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."
What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and New Talent
In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.
In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.
Paul's Defiant Reaction
But the public gets what the public wants, and that certainly means additional pitiful crossover fights. Paul seemed truly proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in crimson.
That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a similarly diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can make north of $50 million.
While he was being interviewed, before departing to the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim symbol of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to return and keep on winning."
