Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, on Friday, knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round of their controversial Netflix-backed fight in Miami.
The bout, held at the Miami Kaseya Centre, Florida, saw both fighters reportedly share a combined purse of $184 million, but drew widespread criticism over the apparent mismatch in size, experience, and class.
Despite expectations of an early finish, Joshua laboured in the early rounds before his superior power told. After flooring Paul twice in the fifth round, the Briton sealed victory in the sixth with a crushing right hand that sent the American crashing to the canvas.
The contest was largely lacklustre, with Paul repeatedly falling and resorting to clinching, prompting frustration from referee Christopher Young, who at one point warned: “The fans did not pay to see this crap.”
Speaking after the fight, Joshua admitted it was not his best outing but said his objective was clear. “It wasn’t the best performance, but the end goal was to pin him down and hurt him. It took longer than expected, but the right hand finally landed,” he said.
Joshua also praised Paul’s resilience, noting that it “takes a real man” to keep getting up. Paul, who left the ring with a bloodied mouth, said he believed his jaw was broken but remained upbeat.
“That was fun. I gave it my all. Anthony is one of the best ever to do it. I’ll be back,” he said.
Fight statistics showed Joshua landed 48 of 146 punches, while Paul managed just 16 landed shots.
Joshua, fighting for the first time in 15 months, is now eyeing a lucrative showdown with fellow Briton and former world champion, Tyson Fury.
“We shook off the cobwebs, and I can’t wait to roll into 2026. If Tyson Fury is serious, let’s fight,” he added.
