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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his eyes becoming 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 utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal spectacle far more succinctly than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a proper punch ensured Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the charade to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last understood how hard, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

A Far From Commanding Win for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a clinical and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

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 falling to the deck as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"It wasn't the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand finally found its target."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he added an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor imitation of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights 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 twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the public receives what the public wants, and that certainly means additional low-quality crossover contests. Paul appeared truly proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in crimson.

That jokey nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished force, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the hospital, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bravado and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and keep on winning."