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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to say "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't pay to see this crap," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle much more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the official waved the charade over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally understood how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

A Far From Impressive Victory for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a precise and deadly finish when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and crude for almost five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to escape any longer, and reduced to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, until then, he had looked like a mournful shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Assessment

"It wasn't the finest performance," 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 thoughts. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand eventually reached its target."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own labored performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rising force. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the fans gets what the public wants, and that certainly means additional low-quality celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, 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, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and keep on winning."