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Jake Paul's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the mat in stunned disbelief after a devastating right hand from the former champion. It appeared as if Paul was trying to utter "Whoa!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his rattled senses.

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

Pinned in a neutral 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 enveloped him. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was lost in an utterly stunned moment.

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

It was the fourth time the former YouTuber had been knocked down, but the result of a proper power shot ensured Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the charade to a halt. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul finally grasped how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable standard of professionalism.

A Far From Impressive Victory for Joshua

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and deadly finish when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for the majority of the contest. Instead of glowering with menace or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed tentative and crude for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, dictated the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the canvas as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua delivered the vicious finish, but, until then, he had seemed a mournful imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

Joshua's Post-Fight Assessment

"It wasn't the best display," Joshua conceded. "The objective was to catch Jake Paul, pin him down and do damage. That has been the plan, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the straight right eventually found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an excuse for his own stilted showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a fifteen-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and New Talent

In the post-fight interview that followed, a jovial Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes far too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world remain Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight likely have required less than half the amount of rounds that Joshua needed to send Paul into a suitably astonished state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the fans gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful celebrity contests. Paul appeared genuinely proud and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of the next day, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a equally faded force, demonstrated that Paul's comic chutzpah is unbroken. It might not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find another opponent with whom he can make north of $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the hospital, Paul spat a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and stated: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever step in the ring. I love this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."