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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't pay to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal affair much more effectively than any observer else could.

Trapped in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it is like, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic champion and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the word.

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 would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb radiated through his jawbone, Paul at last understood how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

A Far From Commanding Victory for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing amid the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and awkward for almost five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the outcome. 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 exhaustion. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad shadow of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"It wasn't the best display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait 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 presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world remain the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight likely have needed less than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed state.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that certainly means more pitiful crossover fights. Paul seemed genuinely proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a equally faded force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah remains unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find someone else with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more bleak symbol of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."