And just like that, the heavily hyped heavyweight prizefight inside the Kaseya Center erupted into chaos. Nonito Donaire made quick work of Jared Allen with a sixth-round knockout. The fight featured two very different styles and levels of experience. In a stunning upset, the 36-year-old Joshua decisively defeated the 28-year-old Paul, scoring a huge win for both fighters’ careers.
Anthony Joshua, an Olympic Gold Medalist with a professional record of 28 wins and 4 losses. He truly put a stamp on his unfair objective ability with an insane 25 KOs. Jake Paul, known for his YouTube fame before transitioning to boxing, held a record of 12 wins against 1 loss and had secured 7 knockouts. The battle became one of the most expensive matches in history, fame not only due to the diverse backgrounds of the combatants, but their physical stature. Joshua loomed large at 6’6 and cast a shadow of 243.4 lbs or walk around weight. By comparison, Paul measured 6’1”, 216.6 lbs.
The struggle started with cries full of electric energy! Fans flooded the Kaseya Center, eager to witness the clash between two polarizing figures in the sport. Joshua’s deeper experience — Joshua has boxed 167 rounds as a pro while Paul had only fought 70 — started to show itself the longer the fight went on.
Fight Overview
Right from the beginning, Joshua demonstrated his tactical genius. With no deliberate cruelty whatsoever, he took subzero precision to Paul and diminished Paul, who never got his offensive groove back. His towering height and reach measuring in at 82 inches provided him a clear advantage to control the distance. As a result, Paul struggled to connect with any meaningful blows.
With each successive round, Joshua kept up the same relentless pursuit of his younger counterpart, throwing devastating combos that pushed the YouTube star’s chin to the limit. Paul exhibited amazing guts and perseverance. He rose repeatedly after going down but ultimately could not deal with the consistent, unyielding attack from Joshua.
“I needed to give this guy a systematic breakdown,” – Anthony Joshua
Joshua’s strategy was, in turn, an excellent bet. He ran Paul ragged, who would eventually concede that fatigue took a brutal toll on his performance.
“I just got tired, to be honest,” – Jake Paul
In round six, Joshua threw a booming right hand straight down the pipe. This devastating blow would send Paul slamming to the mat for the final time. As Paul lay outside the ring, the referee counted him out, leading to Joshua being officially declared the winner by knockout.
Post-Fight Reactions
In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Joshua hailed Paul’s work in the boxing ring. He recognized the obstacles that Paul had to overcome in their meeting and emphasized the need for mutual respect in the game.
“The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him… It takes a real man to do that. Anyone who laces up these gloves, we always say we give them their respect,” – Anthony Joshua
Though triumphant, Joshua was sure to acknowledge Paul’s commitment and fight back right until the end. He explained it was hard to not shake off the cobwebs, coming back after a 15-month retirement from competitive boxing.
At the same time, Paul was processing his own performance, saying he was grateful to have been in the ring with a fighter as experienced as Joshua. He was honest enough to admit that if he’d been more conditioned, maybe he could’ve changed the fight’s result.
“It was just so much handling his weight… But he did amazing, he hits really hard. I just did my personal best,” – Jake Paul
Despite the loss, Paul was undeterred in his boxing dreams. He vowed to come back an even better player and win a championship.
“I got my ass beat but that’s what this sport’s about. I love this shit and I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point,” – Jake Paul
Implications of the Fight
This fight would prove to be a watershed moment for each combatant. It opened up a conversation about their future trajectories in the sport of boxing. This win would send Joshua on his way to retake his place in heavyweight boxing. Now, after a season of nervousness from past defeats, he’s geared up to defend his status as undisputed champion. As he sets his sights on competition to come, fans can’t wait to see how he will take advantage of this victory.
Paul’s path through the sweet science remains an attention-magnet. His readiness to take a risk by fighting an experienced statesman tells you everything you need to know about his maturity as a fighter and willingness to further develop. Now he’s out of the Tournament, fans and critics alike will be watching closely to see how he learns and rebounds for future matches.