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

"Those watching didn't pay to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle far more effectively than anyone else could.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, 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 social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a clean punch ensured Paul could not get up and taunt his opponent before the official called the charade to a halt. As blood began to leak from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for Joshua

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and lethal execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the fight. Instead of glowering with menace or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for almost five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to flee any more, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the right hand finally reached its target."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his previous defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor imitation of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to send Paul into a suitably astonished state.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means more low-quality crossover fights. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in red.

That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. 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 leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was one more bleak summary of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bravado and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."