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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked 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 crap," snapped the referee, encapsulating the dismal spectacle far more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Trapped in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the charade over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul at last understood how hard, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable level of competition.

A Far From Impressive Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the brutal ending, but, until then, he had seemed a sad shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand eventually found its target."

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

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he called for a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world remain the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight likely have needed fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to send Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality celebrity contests. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a equally faded presence, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim summary of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with gory bravado and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."