🔗 Share this article

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

"The audience didn't spend money to see this garbage," snapped the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle far more succinctly than anyone else could.

Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of boxing became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper power shot meant Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul finally grasped how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the bedlam. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that hinted at a precise and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any more, and reduced to falling to the deck as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, until then, he had looked like a sad imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand finally reached its target."

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

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua attempted a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight likely have required less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means more pitiful crossover fights. Paul seemed genuinely proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in red.

That jokey reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a equally faded presence, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was one more grim symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the greatest to ever do it. I adore this shit and I'm going to come back and continue winning."