🔗 Share this article

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the force of the blow sank in to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't pay to see this rubbish," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry spectacle far more effectively than any observer else could.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a clean punch meant Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the contest. Rather than glowering with menace or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the result. Without the gas to flee any longer, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the vicious ending, but, until then, he had looked like a sad shadow of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch 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 anticipated, but the straight right finally reached its destination."

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

The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted 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 required fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to send Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more pitiful celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures marked in red.

That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more bleak summary of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I love this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."