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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the force of the impact registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this garbage," said the referee, summing up 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 like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

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

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a clean power shot meant Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive during the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that hinted at a precise and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and crude for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to escape any more, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, until then, he had seemed a sad shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the best display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand eventually reached its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to send Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public wants, and that certainly means additional low-quality celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in crimson.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."