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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 stunned disbelief after a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the severity of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

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

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine 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 sent to the floor, but the consequences of a proper power shot meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Win for Joshua

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and lethal finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Rather than glowering with menace or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for almost five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and resorting to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal ending, but, up to that point, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not 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 mind. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand eventually found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last loss. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful impression of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the number of rounds that Joshua required to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Response

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that certainly means more pitiful crossover fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly diminished presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a streak 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 think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to return and keep on winning."