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Jake Paul's jaw dropped wide open, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he sank to the mat in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was trying to utter "Wow!" as the force of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal spectacle far more effectively than anyone else could.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat 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 shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was lost in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it is like, and looks, to be hit hard by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul could not get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the charade to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Impressive Victory for Joshua

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had seemed hesitant and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to escape any longer, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Comments

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the right hand finally reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. Both men are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk remains the undoubted king of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight likely have needed fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to send Paul into a suitably wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Reaction

But the public gets what the public desires, and that certainly means more low-quality celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks marked in red.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity is undented. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly 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 tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and said: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."