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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his eyes becoming wide, stunned circles as he sank to the canvas in shock and awe after a devastating right hand from Anthony Joshua. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the blow registered to his rattled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this garbage," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle much more succinctly than anyone else could.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or hold on to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science enveloped him. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an completely stunned moment.

So that is what it is like, and appears, to be hit hard by a real boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Goodness" is certainly the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the result of a proper punch meant Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the referee called the contest to a halt. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a dull ache spread through his jaw, Paul at last understood how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a respectable standard of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was far from convincing during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a clinical and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Instead of exuding intimidation or displaying an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed hesitant and awkward for almost five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to escape any longer, and reduced to falling to the deck as frequently as he could for a rest, Paul was left defenseless by fatigue. Joshua delivered the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful shadow of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not the best display," Joshua admitted. "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 thoughts. It took a bit longer than expected, but the straight right finally found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he added an explanation for his own labored showing. "He faced a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, referencing his last defeat. "We shook off the rust, and I am eager to head into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua attempted a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he demanded a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely have his way, but that bout comes much too late in their professional journeys. Both men are on the downward slope of the hill.

In stark contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are the Ukrainian master and the British prospect. Usyk is still the unquestioned king of the weight class, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. At the same time, Itauma is a rising talent. The youthful British heavyweight would probably have needed less than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua needed to send Paul into a suitably wowed state.

Paul's Defiant Response

But the fans receives what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means more pitiful celebrity fights. Paul appeared truly satisfied and cocky to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in red.

That lighthearted nod to the Mexican superstar, a much superior boxer than Joshua but a equally faded force, showed that Paul's comic chutzpah remains undented. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly locate someone else with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before departing to the hospital, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the ring floor. It was another grim summary of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with blood-flecked bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper beating from one of the greatest to ever do it. I love this sport and I'm going to return and continue winning."