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.
