Anthony Joshua and Paul Produce a Regrettable Spectacle and the Worst Part is More is to Follow

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

Trapped in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it is like, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a real boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul finally understood how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Impressive Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Instead of glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, shaped the result. Without the gas to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the vicious ending, but, up to that point, he had seemed a sad shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the best display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the straight right finally reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor impression of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight likely have required less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that certainly means more low-quality crossover contests. Paul seemed genuinely satisfied and brash 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 lighthearted nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a equally faded presence, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was another bleak symbol of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little 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."