Former heavyweight king Anthony Joshua gave Jake Paul a harsh lesson Friday night in Miami, landing a devastating sixth-round knockout that likely fractured the influencer’s jaw.
Paul dodged Joshua’s power through four rounds, but the ex-champ warmed up, flooring him twice in the fifth before a crushing right hand ended it in the sixth.
“Took longer than expected, but that right hand found its mark,” Joshua said post-fight, back after 15 months out. He tipped his hat to Paul: “He fought hard, kept rising. Takes guts to face a real boxer like that—but tonight he met one.”
Streamed live on Netflix to ~300 million viewers, Joshua then targeted rival Tyson Fury: “If you’re legit, drop the talk and settle it with fists in the ring.”
Paul, jumping from cruiserweight, drew crowds via Most Valuable Promotions but couldn’t handle Joshua’s power. Spitting blood, he admitted: “Jaw’s probably broken. Solid beating from a legend… I’ll return, win a world title someday.”
Critics weren’t sold. UFC’s Aljamain Sterling called it a “clown show” on X after Paul’s early leg dives frustrated fans. Podcaster Josh Thomson shrugged: “You knew the script—don’t complain now.”
President Donald Trump praised Paul on Truth Social: “Watched on the plane—great heart against bigger, skilled AJ. Epic show, props for stamina!”
