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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the canvas in stunned disbelief after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to say "Wow!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't pay to see this rubbish," snapped the referee, summing up the sorry affair far more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Trapped in a neutral 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 serious reality 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 that is what it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist 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 consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how hard, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for Joshua

Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and lethal finish when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for almost five rounds.

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 falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had seemed a sad shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the straight right eventually found its target."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own labored performance. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his last defeat. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes far too late in their careers. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua required to send Paul into a appropriately wowed state.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality crossover contests. Paul appeared truly satisfied and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

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 unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the medical facility, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and keep on winning."