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Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the force of the impact registered to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't pay to see this crap," snapped the referee, encapsulating the sorry spectacle much more effectively than any observer else could.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a clean punch ensured Paul would not be able to rise and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest over. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Rather than glowering with menace or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to flee any longer, and resorting to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the best display," Joshua conceded. "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 mind. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the right hand finally found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own labored showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his previous defeat. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua required to send Paul into a suitably astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."