Boxing-Joshua delivers reality check to Paul with sixth-round KO

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Boxing - Jake Paul v Anthony Joshua Press Conference - The Fillmore, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. - December 17, 2025 Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua face off during the press conference REUTERS/Marco Bello

MIAMI, Dec 19 - Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dose of reality to Jake Paul on Friday with a savage sixth-round knockout in Miami that left the social-media-star-turned prizefighter nursing a suspected broken jaw.

Paul managed to evade the heavily favoured Briton through a lacklustre first four rounds before Joshua found his range, knocking his opponent down twice in the fifth round and finishing him off with a devastating right hand in the sixth.

It took a little bit longer than expected but the right hand finally found its destination, said Joshua, who was returning to the ring after a 15-month layoff.

Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I want to give him his props. He got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him but he kept trying to find a way.

It takes a real man to do that... but he came up against a real fighter tonight.

After the bout, which was carried live to Netflixs approximately 300 million subscribers, Joshua called out long-time rival Tyson Fury.

If youre a real bad man, dont do all that talking, AJ this, AJ that, lets see you in the ring and talk with your fists, he said.

Paul, who stepped up from cruiserweight for the