Jake Paul tried everything he could to survive against Anthony Joshua—using the full size of the ring, relying on quick footwork, and even dropping to the canvas on his own terms when the pressure closed in. But no amount of movement or evasiveness was enough to keep Joshua at bay.
The end came decisively in the sixth round at the Kaseya Center in Miami, where Joshua delivered a crushing right hand that left Paul unable to beat the count. By that point, Paul had already been knocked down four times, sealing a brutal knockout loss in a fight streamed live on Netflix. It marked the second defeat of Paul’s boxing career, and the first time he had been stopped.
“This sport has helped me so much in my life,” Paul said on the broadcast, before abruptly adding, “I think my jaw is broken, by the way.” Seconds later, he spit blood onto the canvas and confirmed, “It’s definitely broke.”
Surviving nearly six full rounds with a former two-time unified heavyweight world champion and Olympic gold medalist was, in itself, a surprising feat for the YouTuber-turned-boxer. Paul embraced that perspective, framing the loss as a learning moment rather than a defeat that would end his ambitions.
“A nice little ass-whooping from one of the best to ever do it,” he said. “I love this s—t, and I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point.”
Early in the fight, Paul managed to frustrate Joshua. For the first three rounds, he stayed mobile, avoided extended exchanges, and used distance to slow the pace. But in the fourth round, Joshua began cutting off the ring more effectively. By the fifth, the pressure broke through, resulting in two knockdowns as the size and power difference became impossible to ignore.
The sixth round ended matters completely. Two more knockdowns followed, the final one leaving Paul seated on the canvas as the referee waved it off. Reflecting on the fight, Paul admitted the physical disparity was overwhelming.
“It was just so much handling his weight,” he said of Joshua.
Paul also suggested that improved conditioning might have changed the dynamics, acknowledging cardio as a key area for growth. While the loss was definitive, he made it clear he views it as part of a longer journey rather than a final chapter.
For Joshua, the fight reaffirmed the hierarchy of heavyweight boxing. For Paul, it delivered a painful but clarifying lesson—one he insists will fuel his next move forward.
