Joshua Ends Paul’s Fairy Tale with Sixth-Round Knockout, Targets Fury Next

Joshua Ends Paul’s Fairy Tale with Sixth-Round Knockout, Targets Fury Next

Former two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua delivered a emphatic reminder of his pedigree on Saturday night, stopping social-media-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a crushing sixth-round knockout in a much-talked-about heavyweight clash in Miami.

The bout, which attracted global attention due to Paul’s celebrity profile and Joshua’s return after a lengthy layoff, was expected by many to be more spectacle than substance. Instead, it produced a decisive and sobering outcome.

Paul, who has built a lucrative boxing career from crossover fights and victories over aging or non-elite opponents, showed more resilience than anticipated, surviving the early rounds and even enjoying moments of competitiveness. But the gulf in class, experience and punching power became glaring as the fight progressed.

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Joshua, shaking off 15 months of ring rust, began to assert himself in the fifth round, flooring Paul twice in a chaotic sequence that left the American badly shaken. The end came in the sixth round when the former champion unleashed a barrage of heavy shots, forcing the referee to halt the contest.

The victory marked a successful return for Joshua, whose career has spanned world titles, Olympic gold and some of the biggest fights of the modern heavyweight era. Speaking after the fight, the British star wasted no time in reigniting his long-running rivalry with Tyson Fury.

“Put down your Twitter fingers, put on some gloves and come and fight me,” Joshua said, throwing down the gauntlet to his compatriot.

Paul, who later revealed he suffered a broken jaw during the bout, accepted defeat with candour. The 27-year-old said he would take time off to recover before returning to pursue his stated ambition of winning a cruiserweight world title.

Many boxing purists who tuned in expecting a scripted exhibition were instead treated to a clear demonstration of elite boxing fundamentals. As one longtime fan observed, Joshua’s years at the top level were always likely to outweigh Paul’s relatively brief and carefully curated boxing journey.

In the end, the fight served as a reality check for the YouTuber-turned-fighter and a timely statement from Joshua that, despite setbacks and time away, he remains a formidable force in boxing’s heavyweight division.

 

Joshua Ends Paul’s Fairy Tale with Sixth-Round Knockout, Targets Fury Next