Anthony Joshua once defeated Wladimir Klitschko to become heavyweight world champion. Now the Brit is making his comeback against an influencer. The duel lasts longer than expected.
20.12.2025, 07:41
20.12.2025, 07:46
SDA
As expected, former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua clearly won the unequal duel against influencer Jake Paul. The 36-year-old Briton defeated the US American, who is around ten years his junior, in the eight-round duel in Miami with a technical knockout in the sixth round.
"It wasn't the best performance, it took a bit longer than expected," said Joshua after the fight and paid tribute to his opponent. Paul was proud and stated in the interview that his jaw was broken. He also wanted to box for a world championship belt in the future.
Paul got tired from the fifth round onwards
The lucrative fight on Saturday night, which was stylized as a spectacle, lasted longer than many experts expected beforehand. In his 14th official fight, Paul was out to elude the much more experienced, bigger and heavier Joshua right from the start. The Brit was unable to really shine and had problems hitting the nimble Paul.
It was only when Paul began to tire in the fifth round that the Brit began to hit him harder and harder, sending the American into the ring ropes and to the floor several times. Joshua then ended the duel with a hard right hand in the middle of the sixth round.
High million-dollar payout for both boxers
Joshua had spectacularly defeated boxing idol Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. Four years ago, he had to relinquish his world championship belt to Oleksandr Usyk, currently the best heavyweight. He was also defeated in a rematch. Joshua last stepped into the ring in 2024, where he was defeated by compatriot Daniel Dubois.
Joshua also agreed to fight Paul because there is a lot of money at stake. There has recently been talk in several media outlets of a high fee in the mid-eight-figure range for both Joshua and Paul.
