Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dominant performance on Friday night in Florida, stopping Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight contest and sending the American to hospital with a double fracture of the jaw.
Paul later confirmed the extent of the injury, revealing that his jaw was broken in two places during the bout in Miami. Joshua knocked the YouTuber-turned-boxer down in the fifth and sixth rounds before Paul failed to beat the referee’s count.
“Double broken jaw. Give me Canelo in 10 days,” Paul wrote on social media, posting an X-ray image showing the fractures.
Despite being largely outclassed and landing few meaningful punches, the 28-year-old showed resilience and determination to stay in the fight once Joshua stepped up the pressure. Paul admitted after the bout that he suspected his jaw was broken after spitting out blood during his post-fight interview.
“I’m feeling good, that was fun. I love this sport. I gave it my all,” Paul said. “Anthony’s a great fighter. I got beaten, but that’s what this sport’s about. I think my jaw is broken — it’s definitely broken. It was a tough lesson from one of the best to ever do it.”
Paul added that he plans to recover before returning to the ring, with ambitions of competing in the cruiserweight division. “We’re going to heal the jaw, fight someone my weight and go for the cruiserweight world title. I’m going to take a little break — I’ve been going hard for six years,” he said.
Joshua, while pleased with the victory, admitted some frustration that the stoppage took until the sixth round. The British boxer, however, praised Paul’s toughness and willingness to compete.
“I wish I could have knocked him out earlier,” Joshua said. “Jake has spirit and heart. He tried his best. A lot of fighters wouldn’t get in the ring with me, but he did. Even after going down, he kept trying to get up. I respect that.”
The win further reinforces Joshua’s status at the top end of the heavyweight division, while Paul’s performance earned him respect for his durability despite the decisive defeat.
