Anthony Joshua & Paul Deliver a Sorry Display and the Most Troubling Part is There's More to Come

The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he sank to the canvas in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Whoa!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of 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 attempted to withstand the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper power shot ensured Paul would not be able to rise and taunt his opponent before the referee called the contest over. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for Joshua

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that hinted at a clinical and deadly finish when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed hesitant and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any longer, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, until then, he had seemed a sad shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the best display," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch 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 expected, but the right hand finally reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both men are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional pitiful celebrity fights. Paul seemed genuinely proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures marked in red.

That jokey nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a similarly faded force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It might 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 departing to the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."