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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 devastating 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 crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal affair far more effectively than anyone else could.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly dazed moment.

So that is what it is like, and looks, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a proper punch ensured Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the charade to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul finally grasped how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of competition.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that hinted at a precise and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and resorting to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, until then, he had looked like a sad imitation of the fighter he was in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The objective 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 straight right finally reached its target."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he offered an explanation for his own labored showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his last loss. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a jovial Joshua attempted a poor impression of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public receives what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality celebrity contests. Paul appeared truly proud and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the wee 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 fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate another opponent 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 canvas. It was one more grim summary of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."