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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Whoa!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"Those watching didn't pay to see this garbage," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry spectacle much more effectively than anyone else managed to.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely stunned 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 certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper power shot ensured Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the charade to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul finally understood how hard, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

A Far From Commanding Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Assessment

"It wasn't the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the right hand finally reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua attempted a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the public gets what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means more pitiful crossover fights. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, 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 shortly find another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality 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 do it. I adore this shit and I'm going to come back and continue winning."