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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped wide open, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he sank to the mat in shock and awe after a pulverising right hand from Anthony Joshua. It appeared as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the impact registered to his rattled senses.

"The audience didn't pay to see this garbage," said the referee, summing up the dismal spectacle far more succinctly than anyone else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring midway through the sixth round, Paul could not run or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the gravity of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he attempted to withstand the shot that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an completely dazed moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be hit hard by a genuine professional fighter, an Olympic gold medallist and ex- world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is certainly the appropriate term.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been knocked down, but the consequences of a proper power shot meant Paul could not rise and taunt his opponent before the referee waved the charade over. As blood began to trickle from his mouth, and a numbing throb spread through his jaw, Paul finally understood how difficult, grueling, and dangerous boxing is at a respectable standard of professionalism.

A Far From Commanding Win for Joshua

Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he performed a cut-throat motion that suggested a precise and lethal execution when, in truth, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Rather than glowering with menace or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had appeared tentative and awkward for almost five stanzas.

Paul's poor fitness, which is a fundamental requirement in top-level boxing, shaped the outcome. Without the gas to escape any longer, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was left helpless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a mournful imitation of the fighter he had been in 2017.

Joshua's Aftermath Assessment

"That was not the best performance," 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 expected, but the right hand eventually found its destination."

Joshua commended Paul's bravery but he offered an explanation for his own labored showing. "He came up against a genuine competitor tonight that's had a 15-month layoff," Joshua said, mentioning his last loss. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I am eager to head into 2026."

What Comes Next: Past Their Prime and Rising Stars

In the post-fight interview that followed, a jovial Joshua tried out a woeful imitation of Tyson Fury as he demanded a scrap against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their careers. Both fighters are on the far side of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling big men in the world are the Ukrainian master and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the unquestioned ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight would probably have required fewer than half the amount of three-minute periods that Joshua required to send Paul into a appropriately astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Defiant Response

But the public gets what the public desires, and that undoubtedly means additional pitiful crossover contests. Paul seemed truly proud and cocky to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he posted an radiograph, with the two fractures marked in red.

That jokey reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a similarly diminished presence, demonstrated that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will shortly find someone else with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the hospital, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was another bleak summary of the night as Paul mangled harsh reality with gory bullshit and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A nice little ass-whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I adore this sport and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."