Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round of their controversial Netflix fight at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Friday night.
The British boxer finally overwhelmed his vastly less experienced opponent after a surprisingly laboured performance, landing a devastating right hand to Paul’s chin that sent the American crashing to the canvas and secured Joshua’s first victory in 15 months.
Both fighters reportedly split a mammoth $184 million purse for the contest, which had triggered widespread alarm throughout boxing circles due to the significant gulf in physical size and professional accomplishment between the two-time former world champion and the internet personality.
Joshua, eventually used his superior size and power to dominate Paul, who had built a lucrative career through novelty boxing contests against aging former champions and fellow social media stars.
The lackluster encounter descended into farce at several points, with Paul repeatedly dropping to the canvas and desperately grappling at Joshua’s legs in attempts to avoid punishment. Referee Christopher Young grew visibly frustrated with the spectacle, warning both fighters in the fourth round: “The fans did not pay to see this.”
Joshua began landing punches with greater regularity as Paul tired in the later rounds. The 36-year-old Brit knocked down the American twice in the fifth round before delivering the decisive blow in the sixth, backing Paul into a corner and setting up the knockout with a crushing left hook followed by the fight-ending right hand.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua admitted afterwards. “But the end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That was the request leading up, and that was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected but the right hand finally found its destination.”
Joshua praised Paul’s resilience despite the one-sided nature of the contest. “I want to give him his props, he got up time and time again,” Joshua said. “It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.”
Paul, his mouth bloodied from Joshua’s final assault, revealed he believed his jaw had been broken during the fight. The 28-year-old later confirmed on social media that he had suffered a “double broken jaw,” accompanied by radiograph images showing the extent of the damage.
“That was fun. I gave it my all,” Paul said. “I had a blast. I think my jaw is broken by the way. But Anthony’s one of the best to ever do it so. I’m gonna come back and get a world championship.”
Joshua landed 48 of 146 punches thrown compared to Paul’s meagre total of 16 successful strikes, highlighting the gulf in class between the fighters. The victory sets up potential lucrative encounters for Joshua, particularly a possible bout against fellow Brit and former world champion Tyson Fury in 2026.
