🔗 Share this article

Jake Paul's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the impact registered to his rattled senses.

"The fans didn't pay to see this garbage," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal affair far more effectively than anyone else could.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of 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 punch that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jaw, Paul finally understood how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a cut-throat motion that hinted at a clinical and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, until then, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the straight right eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he offered an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his last loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the far side of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to send Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means additional low-quality crossover fights. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can make north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was another grim symbol of the evening as Paul mangled blunt truth with gory bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and keep on winning."