British-born Nigerian heavyweight star Anthony Joshua on Friday night delivered the expected outcome on a surreal night in Miami, stopping social media personality-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round at the Kaseya Centre.
The bout, billed as one of the most controversial in recent boxing history, unfolded largely as a chase.
Paul spent long stretches circling the ring and avoiding exchanges, forcing Joshua to remain patient as the crowd grew restless.
The former two-time world champion cut a frustrated figure early, swinging power shots that found little more than air as Paul danced away.
Momentum shifted decisively in the fifth round. Joshua finally broke through, dropping Paul twice as the American struggled to withstand the pressure and clear difference in size and experience.
Although Paul beat the count on both occasions, the damage was evident.
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Early in the sixth, another heavy knockdown prompted concern among spectators, some of whom called for the referee to intervene. Moments later, Joshua landed the clean right hand he had been hunting all night, ending the contest.
Paul failed to rise before the count, though there was visible relief inside the arena when he later stood up and exited the ring unaided.
Reflecting afterwards, Joshua admitted the fight did not unfold as smoothly as he had hoped.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” the 36-year-old said. “The plan was to pin Jake Paul down and hurt him. It took longer than expected, but the right hand eventually got there.”
The result was widely predicted across the boxing world and reignited debate about the safety implications of pairing an elite heavyweight with a relative novice. Joshua improved his professional record to 29 wins from 33 fights and quickly turned his attention to more conventional challenges, once again calling out long-time rival Tyson Fury.
“Come and fight one of the real fighters,” Joshua said in the ring. “If you’re really about it, step in with me next.”
Paul, meanwhile, fell short of his bold pre-fight promise to deliver the biggest upset in sporting history. The 28-year-old spent much of the contest off balance, repeatedly hitting the canvas and even clutching at Joshua’s legs as he tried to survive the exchanges.
While he managed to land a handful of punches, they had little effect, and the fact that the fight reached the sixth round was seen by some as an unflattering sign for Joshua.
The atmosphere inside the 20,000-seat arena was charged. Joshua entered first to a mixed reception, his stern expression underlining his insistence that he was taking the bout seriously. Paul’s ringwalk drew attention of its own, as he was accompanied by controversial rapper 6ix9ine.
Once the bell sounded, boos rang out as Paul stayed on the back foot. Joshua pressed forward relentlessly, each missed punch drawing gasps from the crowd as Paul played to the spectacle with exaggerated gestures.
For Paul, every passing minute represented small progress, particularly given that little over a year earlier, he had shared a ring with 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
The fifth round finally delivered what many expected much earlier, and the end soon followed. The event, streamed live to hundreds of millions of Netflix subscribers worldwide, attracted a host of celebrities, including golfer Rory McIlroy and musicians Rick Ross and Timbaland at ringside.
In the end, the gulf in class proved decisive, bringing an unusual crossover experiment to a definitive close and allowing Joshua to refocus on the elite heavyweight battles that still lie ahead.
