Joshua delivers taste of reality to YouTuber Jake Paul

Former British heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua delivered a dose of reality to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul as he won their much-anticipated showdown.

But Joshua was made to work far harder than he would have liked to extinguish the challenge of a brave but limited opponent.

Joshua scored three knockdowns before landing a huge right hit on Paul halfway through the sixth round.

The British fighter lifted Paul's hand in a show of respect after the fight broadcast on the streaming platform Netflix.

"Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I want to give him his props, he got up, time and time again," he said about his opponent.

Joshua said it "wasn't the best performance", adding: "It took a bit longer than expected. But the right hand finally found the destination."

Meanwhile, Paul said: "I'm feeling good, that was fun. I love this sport. I gave it my all, It's f****** crazy. I had a blast.

"I got my ass beat, but that's what this sport is about. I'mma (going to) come back and keep on winning."

He added: "I just got tired to be honest. He did amazing and hits really hard."

The fight marked the end of a 14-month hiatus for Joshua, 36, while for 28-year-old Paul it was the biggest fight since his boxing career began in 2020.

At the weigh-in on Friday, Joshua boasted an almost two-stone advantage over Paul, who has regularly fought at cruiserweight since he entered the world of boxing.

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Britain's two-time world heavyweight champion tipped the scales at 243.4lbs (17st 5lbs) for his fight against Paul in Miami, while Paul weighed in at 216lbs (15st 6lbs) - a hefty 1.9st difference.

Joshua, who could not weigh more than 245lbs, is the lightest he has been since his first fight against Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 when he was 240lbs. For his last fight against Daniel Dubois he weighed 252.5Ibs.

It is also only the second time that Paul weighed in over cruiserweight limit - the other time was when he fought 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Paul defeated Tyson by unanimous decision with 80-72, 79-73, and 79-73.

(c) Sky News 2025: Joshua delivers taste of reality to YouTuber Jake Paul