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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Whoa!" as the force of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"The audience didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair much more succinctly 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 gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that fractured his mandible in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and looks, to be struck cleanly by a real professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a clean power shot ensured Paul would not be able to rise and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last understood how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

A Far From Commanding Win for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the bedlam. After his empty victory, he performed a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and lethal execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, shaped the result. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal ending, but, until then, he had seemed a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Assessment

"It wasn't the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him 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 eventually reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he offered an explanation for his own labored performance. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his previous defeat. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor impression of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most interesting big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk remains the undoubted ruler of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight likely have needed less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that undoubtedly means additional low-quality crossover fights. Paul seemed genuinely satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in red.

That jokey nod to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find someone else with whom he can make north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bravado and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."