Anthony Joshua delivered a sixth-round knockout to end his much-anticipated bout against YouTube star Jake Paul in Miami in grand style.
The Nigerian-born boxer overcame a frustrating start before asserting his class against the novice opponent.
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The fight, held at the Kaseya Center and scheduled for eight rounds, saw Joshua, a two-time world heavyweight champion struggle early to impose himself as Paul exceeded expectations by surviving the opening exchanges.
Joshua eventually found the breakthrough with a devastating right hand in the sixth round that left Paul with a broken jaw.
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Paul, who had laboured to keep his footing throughout the contest, slumped near the ropes and was unsteady as he attempted to rise, prompting the referee to wave off the fight.
Despite the emphatic finish, Joshua was candid in his post-fight assessment, admitting that it “wasn’t the best performance”, having been widely tipped to dispatch the YouTuber much earlier.
The American entered the ring in typically flamboyant fashion, wearing sunglasses and accompanied by a rap artist, but his confidence appeared to waver once the bell rang.
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Paul spent much of the opening round backpedalling, though he delighted the home crowd with a single left hand as Joshua prodded with jabs while searching for his range.
Joshua increased the pressure in the second round, landing a heavy shot that drew a rueful smile from Paul before unleashing a sharp combination that sent the YouTuber retreating to the ropes.
However, the former champion struggled to land his trademark power punches and was even caught by a uppercut from Paul in the third.
After pulling through to the next round, a sustained flurry from Joshua sent Paul to the canvas, forcing a referee’s count.
Sensing the end, Joshua pressed forward aggressively. A right hand dropped Paul again as the bell sounded, with Joshua continuing to swing spiteful punches.
The decisive moment came in the sixth round when another exchange ended with Joshua landing a clean, fight-ending right.
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Speaking afterwards, Joshua told Netflix: “It wasn’t the best performance.
“The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down, and hurt him. That has been the request and that was on my mind. Took a bit longer than expected but the right hand found the destination.
“Jake Paul has done really well tonight, I want to give him his props. He got up, time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way through.
“You have to give Jake his respect for trying, trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight that’s had a 15-month lay-off.”
The victory was Joshua’s first since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, and he used the moment to renew his call for a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury, declaring: “Fight me, Fury, if you’re a real bad boy!”
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