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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his eyes becoming huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the canvas in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

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

Trapped in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was lost in an completely dazed moment.

So that is what it feels, and looks, to be hit hard by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist 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 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 mouth, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a clinical and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, dictated the result. Lacking the stamina to flee any longer, and resorting to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered helpless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the vicious ending, but, up to that point, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Assessment

"That was not the finest performance," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. 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 courage but he added an explanation for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, mentioning his last defeat. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a poor imitation of his domestic rival as he called for a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that matchup comes much too late in their careers. Both men are on the downward slope of the peak.

In stark contrast, the most interesting big men in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Reaction

But the public receives what the public desires, and that certainly means more pitiful celebrity fights. Paul seemed genuinely satisfied and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a equally faded presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity is undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can earn north of $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the medical facility, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was one more grim symbol of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bullshit and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly 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."