MIAMI -- Jake Paul found out the hard way that there are levels in boxing, and former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua operates on another stratosphere.
In an ugly bout that lasted much longer than many predicted, Joshua knocked out Paul in the sixth round of their scheduled eight-round main event Saturday night at Kaseya Center. Joshua scored four knockdowns, with the finish coming at the 1:31 mark.
Paul, a social media influencer-turned-professional boxer, circled away from Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) for the first half of the fight as jeers rained down in the arena. Paul's reluctance to engage ensured his survival early, but his conditioning betrayed him as the hulking Brit caught up to his tiring opponent and ended the fight with a scintillating straight right hand.
Paul (12-2) lasted longer than some of Joshua's previous opponents, which included Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin. But surviving his opponent wasn't going to win him the fight, as Joshua was constantly pursuing the early knockout.
A restless crowd yearned for more action, and Paul's strategy was to avoid trouble. After numerous clinches and tumbles to the canvas, a worn-down Paul was forced to fight back in Round 5. He cut through with a right hand, but an unfazed Joshua scored a pair of knockdowns, the first with a shot to the body and the second with a 1-2 combination.
Paul was wounded in Round 6, and Joshua rumbled in, clobbering Paul to the canvas with a right hand. Paul got up but couldn't escape as Joshua ended the fight with a short right hand that put him down for good.
