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Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the force of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle much more effectively than anyone else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an utterly dazed moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper power shot meant Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the referee called the contest over. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jaw, Paul finally grasped how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that hinted at a clinical and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for almost five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to slipping to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand eventually reached its target."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his last defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the unquestioned ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that certainly means more low-quality crossover contests. Paul seemed genuinely proud and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more bleak summary of the evening as Paul mangled blunt truth 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 step in the ring. I love this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."