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Jake Paul's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this crap," snapped the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle far more effectively than anyone else managed to.

Trapped in a 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 serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul could not get up and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul at last understood how difficult, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of competition.

A Far From Impressive Win for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the contest. Instead of glowering with menace or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious ending, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the boxer he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Assessment

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective 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 bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he offered an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a cheerful Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that certainly means more pitiful celebrity contests. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he posted an radiograph, with the pair of breaks highlighted in crimson.

That jokey nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can make north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim summary of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."