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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming 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 attempting to say "Wow!" as the force of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"The audience 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.

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 like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of boxing became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and former 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 would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the referee called the charade to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a clinical and deadly finish when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and resorting to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered helpless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had seemed a sad imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not the finest display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he added an explanation for his own labored showing. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his last defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In contrast, the most interesting big men in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The youthful British heavyweight likely have required less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to send Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality crossover contests. Paul seemed truly satisfied and brash to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains 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 symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."