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The YouTuber-turned-fighter's mouth gaped agape, his expression turning to huge glazed saucers as he collapsed to the mat in shock and awe following a devastating right hand from the former champion. It looked as if Paul was attempting to utter "Wow!" as the severity of the impact sank in to his scrambled senses.

"Those watching didn't spend money to see this rubbish," said the referee, encapsulating the dismal spectacle far more succinctly than anyone else could.

Pinned in a neutral corner of the ring in the middle of the sixth round, Paul could no longer run or cling to Joshua's legs like a forlorn little boy as the serious reality of the sweet science became clear. Instead, as he tried to absorb the shot that fractured his mandible in two separate places, Paul was caught in an utterly stunned moment.

So that is what it feels, and appears, to be struck cleanly by a genuine boxer, an Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion. "Wow" is indeed the word.

It was the fourth time the social media star had been sent to the floor, but the result of a proper power shot ensured Paul would not be able to get up and waggle his tongue defiantly before the official called the contest over. As blood began to trickle from his lips, and a dull ache radiated through his jaw, Paul at last grasped how difficult, exhausting, and dangerous boxing is at a decent level of professionalism.

An Unimpressive Commanding Win for the Victor

Joshua, it should be stressed, was not impressive during the chaos. After his hollow victory, he made a throat-slitting gesture that suggested a clinical and lethal finish when, in reality, Joshua had cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the contest. Rather than exuding intimidation or exhibiting an iron certainty, Joshua had seemed hesitant and awkward for nearly five stanzas.

Paul's lack of conditioning, which is a fundamental requirement in elite boxing, shaped the outcome. Lacking the stamina to escape any longer, and reduced to slipping to the deck as often as he could for a breather, Paul was rendered defenseless by fatigue. Joshua applied the brutal finish, but, up to that point, he had looked like a sad imitation of the boxer he was in 2017.

The Winner's Aftermath Assessment

"It wasn't the finest display," Joshua admitted. "The objective was to get Jake Paul, corner him and do damage. That has been the request, and that's what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the straight right finally reached its destination."

Joshua praised Paul's bravery but he offered an excuse 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 dusted off the cobwebs, and I am eager to roll into 2026."

The Future: Faded Forces and Rising Stars

In the press conference that followed, a jovial Joshua attempted a poor imitation of his domestic rival as he called for a fight against the presently inactive boxer. Joshua will likely get his wish, but that bout comes much too late in their careers. Both men are on the downward slope of the hill.

In contrast, the most compelling heavyweights in the world are Oleksandr Usyk and Moses Itauma. Usyk is still the undoubted ruler of the division, after defeating both Joshua and Fury twice. At the same time, Itauma is a rapidly ascending talent. The young British heavyweight likely have needed fewer than half the number of three-minute periods that Joshua required to send Paul into a suitably astonished state.

The Defeated Fighter's Unbowed Reaction

But the fans receives what the public wants, and that certainly means more low-quality celebrity contests. Paul seemed genuinely proud and brash to have had his mandible fractured by a sledgehammer right. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, he shared an radiograph, with the two fractures highlighted in crimson.

That jokey nod to Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, a far greater fighter than Joshua but a similarly faded presence, showed that Paul's brazen audacity remains unbroken. It may not be Canelo, but Paul will soon find another opponent with whom he can earn more than $50 million.

During his in-ring interview, before departing to the hospital, Paul expelled a streak of blood onto the canvas. It was another grim symbol of the night as Paul mangled blunt truth with gory bullshit and stated: "I believe my jaw is broken. It's certainly broke. A proper ass-whipping from one of the greatest to ever step in the ring. I love this shit and I'm going to come back and continue winning."