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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the sorry affair much more succinctly than any observer else could.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat 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 fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was lost in an utterly dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper power shot ensured Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the charade over. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how difficult, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the bedlam. After his empty victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and lethal execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the fight. Instead of glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Without the gas to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had seemed a sad shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the best display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. 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 target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own labored performance. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his previous loss. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both men are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public receives what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more pitiful crossover contests. Paul seemed truly proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an radiograph, with the pair of breaks marked in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a similarly faded force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can make north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."