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Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this garbage," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry affair far more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the consequences of a clean power shot ensured Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the charade to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

A Far From Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and lethal execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the fight. Rather than glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to escape any more, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the vicious ending, 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

"It wasn't the best display," Joshua admitted. "The end goal 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 bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand finally found its target."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his last loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a jovial Joshua attempted a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably astonished state.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the public receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly proud and cocky 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 red.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find someone else with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."