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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't spend money to see this garbage," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry affair far more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and appears, to be hit hard by a real boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a clean punch meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul finally understood how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and deadly finish when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Rather than glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious ending, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful shadow of the boxer he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Comments

"It wasn't the finest display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand eventually found its target."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. 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 remains the unquestioned king 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 likely have needed less than half the number of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed state.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality celebrity fights. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a similarly faded presence, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate another opponent with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim symbol of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I love this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."