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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to utter "Wow!" as the force of the impact registered to his scrambled senses.

"Those watching didn't pay to see this crap," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry affair far more effectively than anyone else managed to.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through 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 attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, 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 consequences of a clean power shot meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the contest over. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

A Far From Commanding Victory for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the bedlam. After his empty victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative 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 flee any more, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Comments

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the straight right eventually found its target."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own labored showing. "He faced 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."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that certainly means more low-quality celebrity contests. Paul seemed genuinely proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in red.

That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a equally diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more bleak symbol of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."