Anthony Joshua showcased the explosive finish the fans and pundits had predicted as the ex two-time world heavyweight champ stopped Jake Paul in the sixth round of their Miami heavyweight bout that was highly publicized and yet contentious.
Joshua, an entirely different level of talent and power, was made to show a lot of composure and coolness when Paul was mainly running around the ring and avoiding engagement at the Kaseya Center. The British heavyweight looked quite depressed in the opening rounds as he was throwing punches where there was nothing to hit, while the YouTuber-turned-boxer was always on the move, showing his tricks to the crowd and thus giving the impression that he was fighting.
The turning point of the fight was the fifth round when Joshua untied the knot, so to speak. One right-hand punch made Paul hit the canvas, and soon after, a huge combination made the American fall again. Paul got up, but it was obvious that he was in trouble; he was having difficulties breathing, and he was holding on tightly when Joshua was closing in.
It was not long into the sixth that the fight was stopped. Paul was left open for a sixth knockdown, and then Joshua landed a right hand that was so clean and firing that it ended the fight. Paul could not get up before the referee’s count but was able to walk out of the ring by himself; he later admitted that he thought that his jaw was broken.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua admitted. “The idea was to pin down Jake Paul and hurt him. It took a little more time than expected, but the right hand did the trick.”
The result was a foregone conclusion, and thus, the safety issue in fights featuring a huge gap in size, strength, and experience has been raised again. By winning this fight, Joshua extends his professional record to 29 wins from 33 fights, and the next talk is around the corner about who he will be meeting next for a big fight, of which one against Tyson Fury is already a lot discussed.
As for Paul, there is no question that this defeat brings to an end his attempt to cause a major upset. However, he, nonetheless, made the assurance that he would be back and that this fight was just his way of getting even stronger and convinced of his ability to get a future cruiserweight world title.
