British heavyweight Anthony Joshua needed six rounds to stop boxing novice Jake Paul, who spent much of the contest in survival mode in one of the most striking mismatches in the sport’s history.
Joshua cut an increasingly frustrated figure as Paul refused to engage by dancing around the ring for long spells, before the two-time world champion finally imposed himself by knocking down the YouTuber-turned-boxer twice in the fifth round.
Paul was down again in the sixth before Joshua landed a powerful and clean right hand that brought a surreal night to an abrupt conclusion at Miami’s Kaseya Center.
The American did not beat the count and there was palpable relief inside the arena when he was able to rise to his feet and leave the ring without assistance.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua, 36, said.
“The end goal was to pin Jake Paul down and hurt him. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination.”
It was the result the boxing world had overwhelmingly predicted, and the controversial bout raises questions about the safety risks created by such a vast gulf in experience, size and power.
Joshua claimed the 29th victory of his professional career in 33 outings and can now turn his attention to a more legitimate challenge – notably the long-mooted showdown with Tyson Fury next year.
Come and fight one of the ‘realest’ fighters out there, step in there with me next if you’re a really bad boy,” Joshua told his rival.
Paul, meanwhile, failed to deliver on his promise to pull off the greatest upset in sports history.
The 28-year-old spent much of the fight tumbling to the canvas and clutching at Joshua’s legs, a reflection of the two-stone weight gap and how badly he struggled to cope with it.
Paul did manage to land a handful of shots, however, and the fact the contest stretched into the sixth round was an unflattering reflection on Joshua.
Paul has gone to hospital with a suspected broken jaw after he was stopped by Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight fight in Miami.
The American went six rounds with the two-time heavyweight world champion but failed to beat the count following repeated knockdowns.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer hit the canvas twice in the fifth and sixth rounds and said in his post-fight comments he believed his jaw was “definitely” broken.
The 28-year-old missed the post-fight news conference as a result and Most Valuable Promotions chief Nakisa Bidarian confirmed Paul had gone to hospital.
“We think he broke his jaw. But he’s fine,” Bidarian said.
“He took a shower, he drove himself to hospital. A broken jaw is very common in sports, particularly in boxing or MMA. The recovery time is four to six weeks.”
‘I will take break’ – reaction to Joshua win as Paul plans boxing hiatus
Paul was a massive underdog and his tactics against Joshua appeared to be to use his speed and footwork to stay away from the Briton’s big punches.
The fight attracted criticism because of the weight discrepancy and experience gap between the fighters.
BBC
