US boxer and influencer Jake Paul (L) and British boxer Anthony Joshua combat in a non-title heavyweight bout on the Kaseya Centre in Miami, Florida, US, on December 19, 2025. — AFP
MIAMI: Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul of their controversial Netflix-backed bout in Miami on Friday.
The combat on the Kaseya Centre, which noticed each males reportedly splitting a mammoth purse of $184 million, had triggered alarm throughout boxing as a result of gulf in bodily dimension and sophistication between Britain’s two-time former world champion Joshua and Paul, an web persona who has solid a profitable profession by a handful of novelty boxing contests.
Within the occasion, nevertheless, Joshua made exhausting work of defeating his vastly much less achieved opponent, earlier than his superior dimension and energy finally informed within the later phases of the eight-round combat, with a sixth-round knockout.
A lacklustre contest descended into farce at instances, with Paul repeatedly dropping to the canvas and grappling at Joshua’s legs.
At one stage even referee Christopher Younger gave the impression to be shedding persistence, warning the fighters within the fourth spherical: “The fans did not pay to see this crap.”
As Paul drained, the 6ft 6in (1.85m) tall Joshua started to land punches with extra regularity, and after pulling down the 6ft 1in American twice within the fifth spherical, the tip got here swiftly within the sixth.
Joshua backed the 28-year-old right into a nook and, after teeing up Paul with a crunching left, delivered the knockout blow with a proper to the chin that despatched his opponent crashing to the canvas.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua, 36, admitted afterwards. “But the end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him.
“That was the request main up, and that was on my thoughts. It took a bit longer than anticipated however the appropriate hand lastly discovered its vacation spot.”
Praise for Paul
Joshua meanwhile praised Paul for lasting into the later rounds.
“I wish to give him his props — he bought up time and time once more,” Joshua said. “It was tough in there for him, however he stored on looking for a method. It takes an actual man to do this.”
Paul, meanwhile, his mouth bloodied from Joshua’s final assault, said he believed his jaw had been broken — but was satisfied with his performance.
“That was enjoyable. I gave it my all,” Paul said. “I had a blast. I believe my jaw is damaged by the best way. However Anthony’s the most effective to ever do it so. I am gonna come again and get a world championship.
“I just got tired, to be honest — like it was so much handling his weight. I think with better cardio, I could have kept it up and kept on fighting. But he hits really hard.”
Friday’s made-for-streaming contest, which got here simply over a 12 months after Paul had fought a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a much-derided Netflix combat, had been broadly panned all through boxing, with many warning that Paul risked critical harm.
But the devastating first or second spherical knockout by Joshua that almost all had predicted didn’t materialise as Paul scrambled desperately to remain exterior of the 2012 Olympic champion Joshua’s vary.
Joshua, combating for the primary time in 15 months, all the time regarded the extra threatening fighter, touchdown 48 of 146 punches thrown in comparison with Paul’s meagre complete of 16 punches landed.
The Briton is now turning his consideration in direction of a money-spinning bout towards compatriot and fellow former world champion Tyson Fury subsequent 12 months.
“We shook off the cobwebs and I can’t wait to roll into 2026,” Joshua stated. “And if Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, let’s put on some gloves and fight.”
