Anthony Joshua has secured a knockout victory over Jake Paul in their Miami mismatch.
The two-time heavyweight champion accepted the challenge of the YouTuber-turned boxer last month, setting up one of the most surreal nights in boxing history.
Paul had promised to deliver one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, with the 13-fight novice stepping up to fight one of the most devastating finishers in heavyweight boxing.
But in an ugly watch that bordered on the farcical at times, Joshua got the job done in the sixth round after four heavy knockdowns – believed to have broken Paul’s jaw with a final vicious shot.
Anything other than a demolition job tonight would have cast doubt on Joshua’s plans to return to the summit of heavyweight boxing.
But the brutal finish that belatedly arrived ensures he remains on course.
Joshua’s focus will now shift to becoming a three-time world champion in 2026 with a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury also in his sights.
From the opening bell, Paul was on his bike, scampering around the ring out his opponent’s reach as Joshua stalked his prey.
Paul refused to engage throughout those early rounds, deep in survival mode from the outset.
The Miami crowd showed its frustration with Joshua also fed up of Paul’s antics with the American repeatedly falling to the floor under the weight of pressure from his opponent’s formidable 6ft 6in frame.
But the fight burst into life in the fifth round as Joshua scored his first two knockdowns of the fight with shuddering body shots doing the damage.
A flurry to the body sent him to the mat again in the sixth with the fight finally beaten out of ‘The Problem Child’ with a brutal right across the jaw.
This time, Paul was unable to beat the referee’s count – much to the relief of many watching on.
While Joshua got the win in brutal fashion in the end, it was a poor performance by his own admission, missing wildly with power shots early on. His frustration grew as the fight wore on with Paul landing a handful of shots of his own.
But after 15 months out of the ring, Joshua can now look forward to greater tests in 2026.
Relive the action with Metro’s LIVE fight blog.
