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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to wide, stunned circles as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his rattled senses.

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

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or cling 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 caught in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a clean power shot ensured Paul would not be able to rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the charade over. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to escape any more, and resorting to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had seemed a mournful shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"That was not the best performance," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the straight right eventually reached its target."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he added an explanation for his own stilted performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to send Paul into a suitably astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that certainly means additional pitiful celebrity fights. Paul seemed genuinely satisfied and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he posted an radiograph, with the pair of breaks marked in crimson.

That lighthearted nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find someone else with whom he can make north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bravado and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."