MIAMI : Joshua dropped Paul four times in a punishing sixth round before finishing the fight with a monstrous right hand that appeared to break Paul’s jaw. The eight-round contest, streamed globally on Netflix, had been billed as a clash between traditional boxing pedigree and digital-age spectacle, and it ended emphatically in favour of experience and class.

The disparity was evident even before the opening bell. Joshua, 36, weighed in at 243.4lb, nearly 30lb heavier than the 28-year-old Paul at 216.6lb, a gap that raised safety concerns throughout fight week despite contractual limits. The bout was contested with standard 10oz heavyweight gloves, further highlighting the physical mismatch between a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist and a 13-fight novice whose résumé includes bouts against retired MMA fighters, fellow influencers, Julio César Chávez Jr., and last year’s controversial Netflix spectacle against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson.

Contrary to many predictions, the fight did not end in the opening rounds. Paul relied on lateral movement and a cautious approach, frustrating Joshua early and making the Brit miss with several right hands while finding occasional success with his jab. But as the rounds wore on, Joshua’s size, power and ring control began to tell.

The end came decisively in Round 6, when Joshua finally pinned Paul down and unleashed the right hand he had been hunting all night.

“It wasn’t the best performance, it wasn’t the best,” Joshua said afterward. “The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination.”

The fight marked Joshua’s return after a 15-month layoff and his first appearance since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois in an IBF heavyweight title bout in September 2024.

Paul, for his part, insisted he was not surprised to have lasted six rounds. “I just got tired, to be honest,” he said. “Handling his weight was a lot. If I had better cardio, I could have kept going. He hits really hard. I just did my personal best.”

Despite suffering a broken jaw, Paul said he plans to return after recovering, adding that his future lies back at cruiserweight. “For sure,” he said. “We’re going to heal and then come back and fight people my weight and go for the cruiserweight world title.”

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