Anthony Joshua and Paul Deliver a Sorry Spectacle and the Most Troubling Aspect is There's More to Follow

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe after a devastating 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.

Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly dazed moment.

So that is what it is like, and looks, to be hit hard by a real boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper power shot meant Paul could not get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the charade to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

A Far From Commanding Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for almost five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to escape any more, and resorting to falling to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered helpless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the vicious ending, but, until then, he had seemed a sad shadow of the boxer he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"It wasn't the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the straight right eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own labored showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial 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 careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that certainly means more low-quality crossover fights. Paul seemed genuinely 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 highlighted in crimson.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a similarly diminished presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It might 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 leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bravado and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."