🔗 Share this article Joshua and Jake Paul Deliver a Regrettable Spectacle and the Most Troubling Aspect is There's More to Follow Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the blow sank in to his scrambled senses. "Those watching didn't spend money to see this rubbish," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle far more effectively than any observer else could. Pinned in a neutral 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 the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment. So this is how it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" 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 clean power shot ensured Paul could not get up and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul at last understood how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism. A Far From Impressive Victory for Joshua Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared tentative and crude for nearly five stanzas. Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any longer, and resorting to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious ending, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful shadow of the boxer he had been in 2017. The Winner's Aftermath Comments "It wasn't the best display," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down 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 right hand finally found its destination." Joshua commended Paul's courage but he added an explanation for his own labored showing. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his previous defeat. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to head into 2026." What Comes Next: Faded Forces and Rising Stars In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of his domestic rival as he demanded 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 peak. In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed state. The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response But the fans gets what the public wants, and that certainly means additional pitiful crossover fights. Paul seemed truly satisfied and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson. That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded force, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah remains unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million. While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."