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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to say "Wow!" as the severity of the blow sank in to his rattled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this rubbish," snapped the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair much more effectively than any observer else could.

Trapped in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or hold on to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the gravity of boxing became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

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

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been sent to the floor, but the result of a clean punch meant Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the official called the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb spread through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was not impressive during the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a clinical and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the fight. Instead of glowering with menace or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a basic essential in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal ending, but, until then, he had seemed a sad shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Post-Fight Comments

"That was not the best display," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than expected, but the straight right eventually reached its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's courage but he offered an excuse for his own labored performance. "He faced a real fighter tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the rust, and I am eager to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview that followed, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most interesting heavyweights in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The youthful British heavyweight likely have needed less than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Response

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that certainly means more low-quality celebrity fights. Paul appeared genuinely proud and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

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

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was one more grim summary of the night as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."