Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight clash, which took place over the weekend in Miami at the Kaseya Center, before a crowd of 19,600.
The two-time heavyweight champion improved to 29-4 with 26 KOs, while Paul dropped to 12-2 after suffering a double broken jaw that required surgery.
Joshua weighed in at 243 pounds to Paul’s 216, using his six-inch reach edge to wear down the YouTuber over six rounds.
In the opening round, Joshua strategically set the pace as neither man threw heavy shots early. Paul landed an overhand right midway that Joshua blocked easily with his glove. Joshua closed the frame with a right to the head near the ropes, establishing control.
Joshua leaned on his left jab in round two, exploiting his reach to keep Paul at bay. Paul struggled to close distance, landing sparingly as Joshua’s punches landed with cleaner connections.
Paul showed movement and a steady jab in round three, disrupting Joshua’s rhythm with defensive slips and inside smothering. Joshua reset repeatedly but began landing uppercuts that slowed Paul late.
The fourth saw Paul connect a short right hand early, yet he slipped awkwardly to the canvas twice while trying tight exchanges. Joshua absorbed the shots and ramped up volume, his heavier hands visibly affecting Paul.
Fatigue gripped Paul in the fifth as Joshua dropped him twice; first with a flurry, then with body-head combinations against the ropes. The referee issued a count after the initial knockdown, warning against further stalling clinches. Paul beat the counts, but Joshua swung spiteful punches until the bell.
Joshua trapped Paul in the corner immediately in round six, landing a right hand that floored him. Paul rose but ate a chopping right and then a massive right to the head at 1:31, unable to beat the 10-count from referee Christopher Young. Paul smiled from the canvas before revealing his jaw injury online.
The stoppage reopens paths for Joshua toward title fights against figures like Oleksandr Usyk or a retired Tyson Fury, who recently criticised him for choosing to fight Paul.
Paul, stretchered out, faces questions on his heavyweight future after the experiment ended violently.
