Anthony Joshua delivered the inevitable outcome as the former two-time heavyweight world champion stopped boxing novice Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavily criticised crossover bout in Miami, MySportDab Reports.
The contest, staged at the Kaseya Center, was widely viewed as one of the most lopsided match-ups in modern boxing history, and it unfolded much as expected.
Paul adopted survival tactics from the opening bell, circling the ring and refusing to engage for long periods, much to the frustration of Joshua and the crowd.
Joshua, who insisted all week that he would treat the fight seriously, stalked his opponent patiently but struggled to land cleanly early on as Paul danced away and played to the theatre, even sticking out his tongue after missed punches.
Boos echoed around the 20,000-seat arena as each minute that passed felt like a small victory for the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
The breakthrough finally came in the fifth round. A right hand brushed Paul and sent him to the canvas, before a follow-up combination dropped him again moments later. Although Paul beat the count, he was visibly shaken and breathing heavily as Joshua began to close in.
Early in the sixth, another heavy right sent Paul down once more. This time, Joshua followed up with a clean, powerful straight right hand that ended the contest abruptly. Paul failed to beat the count, though there was relief inside the arena when he was able to stand up and leave the ring without assistance.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua admitted afterward. “The goal was to pin Jake Paul down and hurt him. It took longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”
The victory improved Joshua’s professional record to 29 wins from 33 fights and allows him to refocus on more credible opposition. A long-mooted showdown with Tyson Fury is now firmly back on the agenda, with Joshua calling on his rival to “fight one of the realest fighters out there.”
For Paul, the promised upset never materialised. The 28-year-old struggled to cope with the size and power difference, frequently tumbling to the canvas and resorting to clinching.
He later suggested he may have suffered a broken jaw but insisted he would return, targeting a cruiserweight world title.
While the bout generated huge attention and commercial success, it also reignited debate over safety and the risks posed by contests featuring such a vast gap in experience and ability.
