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Jake Paul's mouth gaped wide open, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief after a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to say "Wow!" as the force of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle much more succinctly than anyone else managed to.

Trapped in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

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

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper power shot ensured Paul would not be able to rise and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the charade over. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

A Far From Commanding Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to escape any more, and resorting to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left helpless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the brutal ending, 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 performance," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than expected, but the straight right eventually reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to send Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the public gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means additional low-quality crossover contests. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and brash to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee 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 far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly diminished presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bravado and said: "I believe 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 sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."