đź”— Share this article Anthony Joshua & Paul Produce a Regrettable Display and the Most Troubling Part is More is to Come Jake Paul's mouth gaped agape, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in stunned disbelief following a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to say "Whoa!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses. "The audience didn't pay to see this garbage," said the referee, summing up the dismal affair far more succinctly than any observer else could. Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment. So this is how it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the appropriate term. It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism. A Far From Impressive Victory for Joshua Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Instead of glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for almost five stanzas. Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, dictated the outcome. Without the gas to flee any more, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017. The Winner's Aftermath Comments "That was not the best display," Joshua admitted. "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 thoughts. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the straight right finally reached its destination." Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own labored performance. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026." The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill. In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the undoubted king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The youthful British heavyweight likely have needed less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to send Paul into a appropriately wowed state. The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response But the public receives what the public wants, and that certainly means additional pitiful celebrity contests. Paul seemed truly satisfied and brash 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 two fractures highlighted in crimson. That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a similarly faded force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can earn north of $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 summary of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and said: "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 come back and continue winning."