The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact registered to his rattled senses.
"Those watching didn't pay to see this crap," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry spectacle much more effectively than any observer else could.
Trapped in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely stunned moment.
So this is how it feels, and appears, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.
It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean power shot meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul finally grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.
An Unimpressive Commanding Win for Joshua
Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Instead of glowering with menace or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant 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 escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.
The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment
"That was not the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its target."
Joshua praised Paul's courage but he added an explanation for his own labored showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to head into 2026."
What Comes Next: Faded Forces and New Talent
In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he called for a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, 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 interesting heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.
The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Response
But the fans receives what the public wants, and that certainly means more pitiful crossover contests. Paul appeared truly proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.
That lighthearted reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally faded presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can make 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 summary of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with blood-flecked bravado and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."
