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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the mat in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the force of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this garbage," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal affair far more effectively than anyone else managed to.

Pinned in a 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 gravity of boxing became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly dazed moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean power shot meant Paul could not get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent level of competition.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than expected, but the straight right eventually found its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes far 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 are the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to send Paul into a suitably wowed state.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that certainly means more pitiful crossover fights. Paul seemed truly satisfied and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, 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 equally faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was one more grim summary of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with blood-flecked bravado and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."