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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this crap," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal affair far more succinctly than anyone else managed to.

Pinned 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 like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the result of a clean power shot meant Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official waved the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jawbone, Paul at last grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

A Far From Commanding Victory for Joshua

Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive during the bedlam. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed hesitant and awkward for almost five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and resorting to slipping to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, until then, he had looked like a sad shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Comments

"That was not the best performance," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and hurt him. 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 destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a jovial Joshua attempted a poor imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful crossover contests. Paul appeared truly satisfied and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in red.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate another opponent with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more bleak symbol of the evening as Paul mangled harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little beating from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and continue winning."