Anthony Joshua and Paul Produce a Sorry Spectacle and the Worst Aspect is More is to Come

Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the severity of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

Trapped 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 tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and looks, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a clean punch meant Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the charade to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Win for Joshua

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the bedlam. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, until then, he had seemed a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the best display," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than expected, but the straight right finally found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own stilted performance. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his last loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that matchup comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rising force. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the number of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the public gets what the public wants, and that certainly means more pitiful crossover fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in crimson.

That jokey reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the medical facility, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was one more grim symbol of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bravado and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."