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Jake Paul's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the canvas in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was attempting to say "Whoa!" as the force of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't pay to see this rubbish," snapped the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle much more succinctly than anyone else could.

Trapped in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly dazed moment.

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

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul would not be able to rise and taunt his opponent before the referee called the contest over. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a dull ache spread through his jawbone, Paul finally grasped how hard, exhausting, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the bedlam. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that hinted at a precise and lethal finish when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for almost five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to flee any more, and reduced to falling to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not the finest display," 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 thoughts. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We dusted off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the press conference afterwards, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will probably have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight likely have needed fewer than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a suitably astonished stupor.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that certainly means additional low-quality crossover contests. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an X-ray, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find someone else with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was one more bleak symbol of the evening as Paul mixed blunt truth with gory bravado and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to return and continue winning."