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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"The fans didn't pay to see this garbage," 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 no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and looks, 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 former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul would not be able to get up and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and deadly finish when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the result. Without the gas to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful shadow of the fighter he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the best display," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand eventually reached its target."

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

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the press conference that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their careers. 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 unquestioned ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional low-quality crossover contests. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of the next day, he shared an radiograph, with the pair of breaks marked in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater boxer than Joshua but a similarly diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon locate another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was one more grim summary of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bravado and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I adore this shit and I'm going to return and keep on winning."