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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Whoa!" as the force of the impact sank in to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't pay to see this rubbish," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle much more succinctly than anyone else could.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and looks, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper power shot meant Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the charade over. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

A Far From Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a clinical and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and reduced to slipping to the deck 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 sad shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the finest display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the straight right finally reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own stilted performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising force. The young British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the public gets what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality celebrity fights. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a similarly faded presence, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can make north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak symbol of the evening as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bravado and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this shit and I'm going to come back and continue winning."