Anthony Joshua and Paul Produce a Sorry Display and the Worst Part is More is to Follow

Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact registered to his rattled senses.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it feels, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a clean punch ensured Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and lethal execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to escape any more, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered helpless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious ending, but, until then, he had seemed a sad imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"It wasn't the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the straight right eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own stilted showing. "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 cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that matchup comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending 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 astonished stupor.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the public receives what the public wants, and that certainly means additional pitiful crossover contests. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

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

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim symbol of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever do it. I love this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."