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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Whoa!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

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

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

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the result of a clean power shot ensured Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the contest over. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul finally understood how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

A Far From Impressive Win for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the bedlam. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to escape any more, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Assessment

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to get 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 expected, but the straight right eventually found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own labored showing. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he called for a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most interesting big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional low-quality celebrity contests. Paul appeared truly satisfied and brash to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in crimson.

That lighthearted nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was one more bleak symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little beating from one of the greatest to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."