By Comfort asemota
Anthony Joshua marked his return to professional boxing with an emphatic sixth-round knockout victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their highly anticipated showdown, streamed live on Netflix.
The former two-time heavyweight world champion entered the bout as a clear favourite, with many observers suggesting that anything other than a knockout would rank among the biggest upsets in modern boxing history.
Although Paul came into the fight with an impressive record of 12 wins from 13 professional bouts, including seven knockouts, most of those victories had been secured against ageing opponents or fighters transitioning from mixed martial arts. His only previous fight against an established professional boxer ended in defeat.
Joshua’s superior skill, experience, and ring intelligence were always expected to prove decisive at the Kaseya Center in Miami. That assessment was echoed by his promoter, Eddie Hearn, who had dismissed Paul’s chances in the build-up, describing the contest as an opportunity to elevate Joshua’s profile in the United States while securing one of the biggest purses of his career.
The plan, according to Hearn, was straightforward: stop Paul early and move on. While the knockout did arrive, it took longer than many had anticipated.
Paul’s movement and resilience frustrated Joshua in the early rounds, but the British heavyweight remained composed, methodically wearing his opponent down. In the sixth round, Joshua finally broke through, landing decisive shots that sent Paul to the canvas and forced the stoppage.
Joshua had insisted before the fight that there was “zero chance” it would go the distance. Although he may have hoped for a quicker finish, the decisive knockout ensured a dominant and unambiguous return to the ring.
Paul, who had spoken confidently about pulling off a shock victory and even targeting a future world title shot, was ultimately outclassed as the bout progressed.
There had been questions surrounding Joshua’s sharpness, given this was his first fight in over a year following the loss of his heavyweight title to Daniel Dubois. Any doubts were eased as the Watford-born boxer displayed patience, power, and control, delivering on his pre-fight promise to show “no mercy” under the bright lights in Miami.
The victory underlined the vast gap in experience between the two fighters and set the stage for Joshua’s return to elite-level competition.
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