Although it took him longer than expected, former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua won by knockout in the sixth round against influencer Jake Paul in the main event of the boxing gala at the “Kaseya Center“ in Miami, Florida. Joshua ended the fight with a sixth-round knockout after knocking Paul down twice earlier, in the third and fifth rounds. The consequences for the American turned out to be serious, as it was confirmed after the end of the fight that he had a broken jaw, Gong.bg reported.
In the early rounds, Jake Paul looked sharper and more mobile, relying on movement and timing of his punches. This forced Anthony Joshua to take the initiative hastily, at times swinging wide and missing. However, the former world heavyweight champion demonstrated patience and composure, waiting for the right moment to assert his physical superiority. As the fight progressed, Joshua gradually increased his aggression and pressure, and his control over the fight became more and more tangible.
The key moment came in the fifth round, when Paul was knocked down twice. From that moment on, Joshua completely took the initiative, punishing his opponent on the ropes with body blows and heavy blows to the head. 1:31 minutes before the end of the next sixth round, the Briton finally ended the fight with a brutal straight right that left no doubt about his superiority.
After the knockout, AJ violently reflected on his victory in the ring, which put an end to one of the most chaotic and discussed fights in modern boxing history. It was a clash between the show and the elite level of the sport in the heavyweight division, which ended with the established champion's clear superiority.
With a record of 12 wins and 2 losses (7 knockouts), Paul entered the fight with Joshua after a unanimous decision victory over former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June. Before his defeat in Miami, he was on a six-fight winning streak, with his only previous loss coming to Tommy Fury by decision in February 2023.
Although Jake Paul managed to blunt some of the criticism for a short period of time with a display of solid boxing skills, considering he has only been a professional since 2020, the clash with Anthony Joshua represented a significant leap in his career. Up until now, most of Paul's opponents have been former MMA fighters or aging boxers who are past their prime. A typical example was Mike Tyson, who came out of retirement to face Paul at the age of 58.
For Joshua, this was an important victory in his attempt to return to the heavyweight elite. The Briton has a record of 29 wins and 4 losses (26 knockouts), having lost the WBO, IBF and WBA titles to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021, and 11 months later failed to regain them in a rematch. Joshua then recorded four consecutive victories before being stopped by Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
After the fight, Joshua made it clear that he wanted to face the retired Tyson Fury in 2026. However, AJ's compatriot could return to the ring for the second time, as he himself hinted at earlier this week.