Anthony Joshua Ends Jake Paul Bout With Sixth-Round Knockout

Anthony Joshua Ends Jake Paul Bout With Sixth-Round Knockout

By Admin 

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul by knockout in the sixth round of their much-hyped, Netflix-backed bout in Miami early Saturday morning, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Fighting for the first time in 15 months, the two-time heavyweight champion eventually imposed his size, strength and experience in an eight-round contest that struggled to live up to its blockbuster billing. Despite early resistance from Paul, Joshua’s power proved decisive in the latter stages.

The bout, staged at the Kaseya Center and reportedly carrying a combined purse of $184 million, drew criticism for its uneven matchup and scrappy exchanges. At several points, Paul resorted to clinching and repeatedly fell to the canvas, prompting visible frustration from referee Christopher Young, who issued a sharp warning in the fourth round.

As Paul began to fade, Joshua increased the pressure. After flooring the American twice in the fifth round, the end came swiftly in the sixth. Joshua backed Paul into a corner, landed a heavy left hand to set up the finish, and followed with a crushing right to the chin that ended the contest.

“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua admitted afterwards. “But the goal was to pin Jake down and hurt him. It took longer than expected, but the right hand finally landed.”

Joshua, 36, was generous in victory, praising Paul’s resilience. “I’ve got to give him credit he kept getting up,” he said. “It takes courage to do that.”

Paul, 28, left the ring bloodied and suggested he may have suffered a broken jaw, but expressed satisfaction with his effort. “That was fun. I gave it everything,” he said. “Anthony is one of the best to ever do it. I’ll come back and chase a world championship.”

The fight had drawn concern within boxing circles due to the disparity in experience and size, with many expecting an early knockout. 

Instead, Paul managed to survive into the middle rounds by staying on the move and avoiding prolonged exchanges.

Joshua, however, remained the more dangerous fighter throughout, landing 48 of 146 punches compared to Paul’s 16 landed shots, underlining the gulf in class despite the delayed finish.

The bout marked another chapter in boxing’s growing crossover era, reigniting debate over spectacle versus sporting merit on the global stage.