BRITISH-NIGERIAN former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua needed six rounds to floor YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a one-sided fight in Miami, United States of America in the early hours of today.
Paul spent much of the farcical contest running around the ring to evade a menacing Joshua in one of the most striking mismatches in the history of boxing.
Joshua, a two-time world champion, cut an increasingly frustrated figure as Paul danced around the ring for long spells of the fight shown live on Netflix, refusing to engage, before the towering Joshua finally imposed himself by knocking down the American 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.
Paul did not beat the count, although 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 might have taken longer than expected but 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 legitimate challenge – notably the long-mooted showdown with Tyson Fury next year.
“Come and fight one of the realest fighters out there, step into there with me next if you’re a really bad boy,” Joshua told his rival.
“If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his Twitter fingers… step in the ring with me next if you’re a real bad boy.
“Let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists.”
Paul, meanwhile, failed to deliver on his promise to pull off the sport’s greatest upset, and admitted he got his jaw broken.
The 28-year-old 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.
With agency report