Is Boxing Back? Anthony Joshua Believes Boxing Still Operates on Merit
Jake Paul finally stepped into the ring with a boxer widely regarded as still being in his physical prime, and Anthony Joshua wasted little time proving that there are unmistakable levels in professional boxing.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion delivered a punishing sixth-round knockout Friday night, flattening Paul with a crushing right hand that ended their heavyweight bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Joshua stalked Paul for six rounds, methodically breaking him down before registering four knockdowns overall. The fight, at times, devolved into awkward clinches and moments that resembled wrestling or mixed martial arts more than traditional boxing, but Joshua never appeared rushed. Paul repeatedly tumbled to the canvas as his strategy of wearing Joshua down in hopes of landing his signature overhand right failed to materialize.
Paul entered the Anthony Joshua Jake Paul fight riding recent wins over Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but he was visibly outsized by the 6-foot-6 Joshua from the opening bell. Paul attempted to circle early, but his conditioning quickly became an issue. Joshua knocked him down twice in the fifth round and twice more in the sixth, sealing the outcome in front of a sold-out crowd at Kaseya Center.
After the fight, Paul confirmed that the final right hand broke his jaw.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua said afterward while giving Paul credit for stepping into the ring. “It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”
Many critics had predicted an early knockout in the first two rounds and long questioned Paul’s decision to face opponents who were either past their prime or had never boxed professionally.
Joshua, who entered the bout coming off a brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, provided the exact measuring stick fans had been calling for. As the rounds wore on, Joshua’s experience and power became undeniable, and the crowd’s anticipation for a knockout was fully rewarded.
Despite suffering the first stoppage loss of his boxing career, Paul remained adamant that he would continue fighting.
“Man, I’ve already won in every single way in life,” Paul said, referencing the improbability of securing a fight against a former heavyweight champion. He added that he plans to return to the cruiserweight division after a break and eventually pursue a world title.
Friday night offered a definitive answer to lingering questions surrounding the Anthony Joshua Jake Paul fight.
Joshua reminded fans that elite boxing still operates on merit, experience, and power, and that hype alone doesn’t survive sustained pressure in a real heavyweight ring.
