In a dominant return to the ring on Saturday morning in Miami, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua secured a sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul.
While the YouTuber-turned-boxer showed resilience by lasting longer than many predicted, Joshua’s elite power eventually overwhelmed him.
The momentum shifted heavily in the fifth round when Joshua landed a sharp uppercut. Although Paul managed a successful overhand right during the bout, he was dropped twice during a frantic fifth frame.
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The first knockdown resulted from a heavy accumulation of strikes, while the second occurred at the two-minute mark after a clean right hand.
Joshua closed the show quickly in the sixth round, using a right-hand-to-left-hook combination before sending a fatigued Paul to the ropes.
A final, devastating right hand to the chin sent Paul to the canvas, where he was unable to beat the count.
This win was Joshua’s first appearance since his September 2024 loss to Daniel Dubois. Despite the knockout, Joshua was critical of his showing, stating, “It wasn’t the best performance — it wasn’t the best.”
He further explained his mindset during the fight: “The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the request leading up [to the fight], and that’s what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination.”
Joshua added a chilling note on the finish, saying, “I said I’m going to take his soul, and I said I’m going to see it leaving his body round after round. When the time comes, some people are just there to get knocked out.”
Joshua immediately turned his attention to a long-awaited domestic rival, calling out Tyson Fury: “If Tyson Fury’s as serious as he thinks he is and he wants to stop talking on Twitter and put on some gloves and fight one of the realest fighters out there — step in the ring with me next. Don’t do all that talking. Let’s see you talk with your fists.”
Despite the loss and a suspected broken jaw that required a hospital visit, Jake Paul remained defiant.
“I think my jaw is broken. That was a nice little ass-whopping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this, and I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point,” Paul said.
He also announced a hiatus from the sport: “I’m going to take a little break. I’ve been going hard for six years, so I’m going to take some time off.”
See video below:
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