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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the force of the impact registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't pay to see this garbage," snapped the referee, encapsulating the dismal spectacle much more succinctly than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean power shot meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the charade over. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a cut-throat motion that hinted at a clinical and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Rather than glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Without the gas to flee any more, and resorting to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, until then, he had looked like a sad shadow of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Assessment

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand finally found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua attempted a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the unquestioned ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The youthful British heavyweight likely have needed fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to send Paul into a appropriately wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional pitiful crossover fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bravado and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I love this sport and I'm going to return and keep on winning."