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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he sank to the canvas in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the sorry spectacle far more effectively than any observer else could.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of boxing became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the consequences of a clean power shot ensured Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest over. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a clinical and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and resorting to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"It wasn't the best display," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the right hand eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own labored showing. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his last defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes far too late in their careers. 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 remains the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight likely have needed fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional pitiful crossover contests. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That jokey reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can make north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was another bleak summary of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to come back and continue winning."