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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the severity of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair much more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of boxing became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and looks, to be hit hard by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a clean power shot ensured Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the official waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul at last understood how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for Joshua

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and resorting to slipping to the deck as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Assessment

"It wasn't the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand eventually reached its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his previous defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The young British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the public gets what the public wants, and that certainly means additional pitiful crossover fights. Paul appeared genuinely proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find someone else with whom he can make 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 harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to come back and continue winning."