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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to utter "Wow!" as the force of the impact registered to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't pay to see this garbage," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair far more succinctly than any observer else managed to.

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 attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the charade over. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable level of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Win for Joshua

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 deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, dictated the result. Lacking the stamina to flee any longer, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Comments

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

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the number of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means additional low-quality crossover contests. Paul seemed genuinely satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an radiograph, with the pair of breaks highlighted in red.

That lighthearted nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find another opponent with whom he can make north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim summary of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the greatest to ever do it. I love this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."