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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers 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 utter "Wow!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his rattled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this rubbish," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry affair much more effectively than anyone else managed to.

Trapped in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly dazed moment.

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

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean punch meant Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the charade over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

A Far From Impressive Victory for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and awkward for almost five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and resorting to falling to the deck as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down 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 straight right eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own labored showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his last 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 poor imitation of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to send Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the public receives what the public desires, and that certainly means more low-quality crossover contests. Paul appeared genuinely proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in crimson.

That lighthearted nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a similarly faded presence, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another 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 love this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."