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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the mat in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the force of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"The audience didn't pay to see this crap," snapped the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair far more effectively than any observer else could.

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 in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an utterly dazed moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a proper power shot meant Paul could not get up and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive amid the bedlam. After his empty victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested 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 unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and reduced to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"It wasn't the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his previous defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the post-fight interview that followed, a jovial Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that matchup comes far too late in their careers. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful crossover fights. Paul appeared genuinely proud and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was another bleak symbol of the evening as Paul mangled blunt truth with gory bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."