Anthony Joshua stopped Jake Paul in the sixth round and handed the YouTuber-turned-boxer his first knockout defeat.
The heavyweight fight was billed as ambitious, risky and controversial, and it played out in a way that left ample room for debate. Paul entered the fight with just one loss under his belt, a split decision against Tommy Fury and no previous stoppage losses.
Afterward, Paul’s former rival Mike Perry called him out for a rematch on X and tagged his Dirty Boxing promotions in the post:
“Run @DirtyBoxing_ @jakepaul again.”
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Check out Mike Perry’s X post below:
Their first meeting ended decisively in Paul’s favor in July 2024 in Tampa after Mike Tyson was kicked out of the initial main event. Paul controlled the fight from the first round, using his reach and jab to keep Perry at bay and limit the exchanges.
He scored a knockdown in the first round and another in the second as Perry’s low guard left him exposed. By the sixth, Perry was exhausted and unsteady. A sustained barrage forced a third knockdown and prompted the stoppage in the sixth round.
As for Paul’s fight against Joshua, the lack of experience was evident from the opening bell. Paul relied on footwork, clinches and careful movements in the early rounds to avoid Joshua’s power. This approach worked briefly, but the pressure continued to build.
The turning point came in the sixth round when Joshua landed a right hand that sent Paul to the canvas, and the referee waved it off. For Joshua, the victory reopened talk of a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury.
For Paul, it marked a sobering reset after years of controlled risks and steady progress. He acknowledged the physical toll of the fight and pointed to fatigue related to Joshua’s size as a key factor.
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