Jake Paul claimed a two-round win over Anthony Joshua and said he “wobbled” his opponent before being knocked out in the sixth round in Miami on Friday.
Joshua, 28, suffered his second loss in his professional boxing career, having lost to Tommy Fury in 2023, and had to undergo surgery to break his jaw in two places.
The two-time world heavyweight champion struggled to stop Paul in the early rounds, but the American also struggled to stay on his feet throughout the fight.
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Jake Paul has commented on his clash with Anthony Joshua. Video provided by Netflix and MVP. Jake vs Joshua is now available worldwide exclusively on Netflix
“It’s not that hard to hit a great beat,” Paul said on the Impaulsive podcast, co-hosted by his brother Logan Paul.
“I won two rounds, he won two rounds, and then I got dropped.
“But I was in good shape, my cardio was good, I had the mental pressure of a big guy, and sparring with a big guy is different than 10-ounce gloves, so I felt more of his power.
“It was a great experience, I learned a lot there.
“I wish I had more than three weeks to put on more muscle so I could really hit him. My biggest mistake was not doing any altitude training.
“It’s a little disappointing because he could have done more, but we also know how good he is. We wobbled him at some points, but he had his hands up a lot better in this game.”
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Highlights of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua. Video provided by Netflix and MVP. Jake vs Joshua is now available worldwide exclusively on Netflix
This was Paul’s 14th professional fight since debuting in 2020, while Joshua has 28 wins in 32 professional fights, 25 of which were by knockout.
Joshua was expected to clean up the fight in the opening round due to his extensive experience and size.
Paul, who underwent jaw surgery, said the lower left side of his face appeared visibly swollen and felt “like there was a baseball in it.”
Jake Paul falls to the canvas multiple times during a heavyweight boxing match (AP Photo/Lynn Sladke)
What’s next for Paul?
Six rounds with Joshua planted an idea in Paul’s mind about who his next opponent would be: Francis Ngannou.
The former UFC fighter made his professional boxing debut in 2023 with a loss to Tyson Fury.
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Watch Anthony Joshua’s incredible knockout punch that ended his fight with Francis Ngannou from every angle.
Ngannou lost to Joshua in 2024 by second-round knockout.
Now, Paul believes Ngannou has something to prove after fighting more rounds against Joshua than any other UFC heavyweight.
“I told everyone I would do better than Francis (Ngannou),” Paul said. “Frances has a modest demeanor.”
But before returning to the ring, Paul will take time off to support speed skating fiancée Jutta Lierdam at the Winter Olympics in February.
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Anthony Joshua is calling for a blockbuster showdown with Tyson Fury, who beat Jake Paul. Video provided by Netflix and MVP. Jake vs. Joshua is currently available worldwide exclusively on Netflix.
Paul did a “reality check”
Sky Sports pundit Jonny Nelson said Paul had had a “serious reality check” following his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua and said he didn’t think he could ever reach world-class level.
“I think when he stood in the 22-foot ring, he realized the challenge in front of him.
“He saw the Adonis of the fighter, former world champion Anthony Joshua, in the opposite corner, and that’s when reality collided with fiction.
“Everything that was in his head, everything he thought he could do, went away, and as he slid out of the ring with his cornermen, he thought, ‘Wow, this is real.’
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Sky Sports’ Jonny Nelson shares his thoughts on Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul win
“Even a little jab that just kind of missed him, you could tell he was thinking, ‘What does this mean?’” So it was a case of survival or not, and to be honest, I didn’t want Joshua to knock him out. I thought, “This kid needs to see reality,” and he did.
“Boxing looks so easy on TV, it looks so easy in real life, but it’s not a big deal until you get punched and reality sets in.
“Jake Paul did a great job of promoting himself, promoting this fight, and evoking human emotion. I think he’s going to be a great promoter in the future. We had all these great matches on the undercard and all the female fighters got a chance to shine. And I thought, ‘I know, you’re doing your job, everyone’s talking about you.’
