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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 following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the force of the impact registered to his rattled senses.

"Those watching didn't spend money to see this garbage," snapped the referee, summing up the dismal affair much more succinctly than anyone else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could no longer retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of boxing enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that broke his jaw in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a real professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is indeed the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the consequences of a proper punch ensured Paul could not get up and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

A Far From Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and deadly execution when, in truth, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for most of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared hesitant and crude for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, dictated the result. Without the gas to flee any longer, and reduced to falling to the canvas as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful shadow of the fighter he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"It wasn't the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The end goal was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a little more time than anticipated, but the right hand finally found its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse for his own stilted performance. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I can't wait to roll into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he demanded a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both fighters are on the downward slope of the peak.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the number of rounds that Joshua needed to knock Paul into a suitably astonished state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that certainly means additional pitiful celebrity fights. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

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

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the medical facility, Paul spat a streak of blood onto the ring floor. It was another bleak summary of the evening as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely 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."