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Jake Paul's jaw dropped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a pulverising right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was trying to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the blow registered to his scrambled senses.

"The fans didn't spend money to see this rubbish," said the referee, encapsulating the sorry affair much more effectively than any observer else managed to.

Pinned in a corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could not retreat or cling to Joshua's legs in a desperate clinch as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the punch that broke his jaw in two distinct locations, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So this is how it feels, and appears, to be hit hard by a real 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 sent to the floor, but the result of a proper punch ensured Paul could not rise and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the contest over. As blood began to leak from his lips, and a numbing throb radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how hard, grueling, and perilous boxing is at a decent standard of competition.

An Unimpressive Commanding Victory for Joshua

Anthony Joshua, it must be noted, was far from convincing amid the chaos. After his empty victory, he made a cut-throat motion that hinted at a clinical and deadly execution when, in reality, Joshua had appeared exasperated for most of the fight. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an unshakeable confidence, Joshua had appeared hesitant and awkward for nearly five rounds.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, shaped the result. Lacking the stamina to flee any longer, and resorting to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a rest, Paul was rendered defenseless by exhaustion. Joshua applied the vicious finish, but, up to that point, he had seemed a mournful shadow of the boxer he had been 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 request, and that's what was on my thoughts. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand finally found its target."

Joshua praised Paul's courage but he added an excuse for his own labored performance. "He came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month hiatus," Joshua said, referencing his previous loss. "We shook off the cobwebs, and I can't wait to head into 2026."

The Future: Past Their Prime and New Talent

In the press conference afterwards, a cheerful Joshua tried out a woeful impression of Tyson Fury as he called for a scrap against the currently retired boxer. Joshua will likely 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 interesting big men in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and the British prospect. Usyk remains the unquestioned king of the division, having beaten both Joshua and Fury on two occasions. Meanwhile, Itauma is a rapidly ascending force. The young British heavyweight likely have required fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to knock Paul into a appropriately wowed stupor.

Paul's Unbowed Reaction

But the public receives what the public wants, and that certainly means additional pitiful celebrity contests. Paul appeared genuinely satisfied and brash to have had his jaw broken by a hammer-like right. In the wee hours of the next day, he posted an X-ray, with the pair of breaks highlighted in crimson.

That lighthearted reference to the Mexican superstar, a much superior fighter than Joshua but a equally diminished force, showed that Paul's brazen audacity is unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

While he was being interviewed, before leaving for the medical facility, Paul expelled a tracer of blood onto the canvas. It was one more bleak symbol of the night as Paul mixed harsh reality with gory bravado and said: "I think my jaw is broken. It's definitely broke. A proper beating from one of the best to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to come back and keep on winning."