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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't pay to see this crap," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry spectacle much more succinctly than any observer else could.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a real boxer, an Olympic champion and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a proper punch meant Paul could not get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee waved the contest to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how hard, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Victory for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive 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 fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for almost five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any more, and resorting to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a breather, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, until then, he had looked like a sad shadow of the boxer he had been in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua conceded. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the right hand finally reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he offered an excuse for his own labored performance. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We dusted off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference afterwards, a cheerful Joshua attempted a poor impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed fewer than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that certainly means more low-quality crossover contests. Paul seemed genuinely proud and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of the next day, he posted an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly diminished force, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can make more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was another grim summary of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bravado and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I love this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."