Anthony Joshua returned to successful methods with a sixth-round knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami, ending a intently watched however untidy heavyweight contest in opposition to the YouTube star.
The previous two-time world champion was combating for the primary time since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. Joshua began cautiously earlier than slowly taking management as his measurement, energy and expertise got here to the fore.
Paul started brightly within the opening spherical, shifting properly across the ring and touchdown a left hand that briefly unsettled Joshua. The American got here via the spherical with out severe harm, though Joshua linked with a powerful proper hand simply earlier than the bell.
Joshua stepped up the tempo within the second spherical, utilizing his jab to again Paul in direction of the ropes. He landed a number of stable punches, however Paul confirmed resilience and used his motion to remain within the contest.
The third spherical was Paul’s finest second within the battle. He landed a clear uppercut and gained confidence as Joshua struggled to land a decisive shot. Commentating on the bout, former world champion David Haye mentioned it was a battle Joshua wouldn’t need to enable to go on for too lengthy.
The battle turned clearly in Joshua’s favour within the fourth spherical. He started to sit down down on his punches and use his energy, forcing Paul into scrappy exchanges. Paul slipped to the canvas greater than as soon as and wanted a brief break after a low blow, which drew loud boos from the gang.
Joshua’s dominance turned clear within the fifth spherical. A heavy proper hand dropped Paul for the primary time. Though Paul acquired again to his ft, he was shaken and shortly went down once more, however managed to outlive till the top of the spherical.
The end got here early within the sixth spherical. Joshua landed one other highly effective proper hand that despatched Paul to the canvas. Paul tried to proceed, however a fast follow-up compelled the referee to step in and cease the battle.
After the competition, Joshua confirmed sportsmanship by elevating Paul’s hand and downplaying the significance of the win.
“I’m not excited about legacy,” Joshua mentioned. “I stayed affected person and did what I wanted to do. My focus was on staying secure.”
He additionally praised Paul’s dedication, including: “He saved getting again up. That deserves respect.”
Paul, who had spoken confidently earlier than the battle, earned reward for his toughness and braveness, lasting into the sixth spherical in opposition to an skilled heavyweight.
