Reality Check In Miami: Anthony Joshua Flattens Jake Paul In Round 6
Let’s be honest: deep down, we all knew how this movie was going to end. We just didn’t know how long the credits would roll before the screen went black.
On a humid Friday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami, the “Problem Child” finally ran into a problem he couldn’t hustle, market, or meme his way out of. Anthony Joshua, a two-time unified heavyweight champion of the world, stopped Jake Paul in the sixth round with a right hand that felt like it carried the collective sigh of relief from boxing purists everywhere.
It was a spectacle. It was a circus. It was, at times, barely a fight. But when the dust settled, the laws of physics and combat sports reigned supreme: heavyweight champions beat YouTubers. Every single time.
The Moment the Circus Left Town and Anthony Joshua Locked On Target
For five rounds, Paul did what he does best—he survived, he trolled, and he made things awkward to the point where the ref even said that people didn’t pay to see this crap! But in the sixth, Anthony Joshua decided he’d clocked enough overtime.
After dropping Paul in the fifth round (and watching Paul theatrically wrestle and clinch his way to the bell), AJ came out with bad intentions. He landed a stiff combination that sent Paul reeling. In true Paul fashion, the influencer stuck his tongue out, mocking the power of an Olympic gold medalist.
Bad move.
Seconds later, Joshua detonated a straight right hand that didn’t just end the fight; it seemed to reboot Paul’s operating system. Paul hit the canvas, the referee waved it off without a second thought, and order was restored to the boxing universe. There was no controversy this time, no “fixed fight” conspiracies—just a frantic influencer staring up at the arena lights while a legitimate titan stood over him.
A Masterclass In Stalling (and Surviving)
Credit where it’s due: Paul is tougher than your average keyboard warrior. Walking out to the ring alongside Tekashi 6ix9ine, dressed in a red and yellow “Hulkamania” costume, Paul looked ready for WrestleMania, not a heavyweight title contender.
For the first four rounds, the fight was… ugly. Let’s call it what it was. Paul spent more time looking for Joshua’s waist than his chin, engaging in so much clinching that the referee actually stopped the action to tell them, “Fans ain’t pay to see this crap.”
It was the quote of the night.
Paul’s strategy was clear: run, clinch, and pray Joshua got bored. And for a while, it worked. Joshua looked frustrated, unable to find a rhythm against a guy who refused to engage in an actual boxing match. Paul even managed to land a few pot-shots, grinning through a cracked lip, trying to convince the Miami crowd he belonged in there. But boxing is a truth machine. You can only run around the ring for so long before the ring cuts you off.
The Undercard: Legends and the Lioness
Before the main event shenanigans, we got reminders of what actual elite combat looks like.
Anderson “The Spider” Silva, pushing 50 and apparently immune to the concept of aging, reminded everyone why he’s the GOAT of combat sports. Facing fellow former UFC champ Tyron Woodley, another ghost of Jake Paul’s past, Silva looked bored in the first round and lethal in the second. He backed Woodley into a corner and uncorked a right uppercut that looked like it belonged in a highlight reel from 2010. Woodley went down, beat the count, but the ref had seen enough. Silva got his win, and we got a hit of nostalgia.
Then there was Alycia Baumgardner. The undisputed queen of the 130-pound division put her belts on the line against Leila Beaudoin and showed why there are levels to this game. It wasn’t just a win; it was a clinic. Baumgardner scored a knockdown in the seventh and cruised to a unanimous decision, retaining her titles and looking every bit the superstar she is. No gimmicks, just hands.
What This Means For the “Influencer Era”
So, where do we go from here? Paul is 12-2. He’s made millions. He’s fought legends, retired basketball players, and now, a legitimate heavyweight king.
Tonight proved that there is a hard ceiling on the “fake it ’til you make it” approach to professional boxing. You can train hard, you can buy the best coaches, and you can hand-pick opponents, but you cannot fast-track the instincts that Joshua has been honing since he was a teenager.
Joshua didn’t just win a fight tonight; he likely saved us from a Paul heavyweight title run delusion. He took the check, played the villain for a few rounds, and then did exactly what he was supposed to do.
Paul will be fine. He’ll go back to his podcast, maybe fight another MMA retiree, and count his Netflix money. But tonight in Miami, the line was drawn. The YouTuber stepped up to the big leagues, and the big leagues hit back. Hard.
