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Joshua’s huge reach advantage carried him through the fight - Getty Images/Ed Mulholland
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Anthony Joshua was embarrassed as he took six rounds to stop Jake Paul in their fight in Miami.
The fact that Joshua, a two time heavyweight world champion, did not end the fight sooner, against an opponent whose previous fame came as a Youtube star, is unedifying. Joshua did not let his hands go and carried Paul for several rounds. It felt at times that he took it easy on the American.
The fight was a poor affair, with Paul repeatedly dropping to the floor and referee Christopher Young telling him in round four: “The fans did not pay to see this crap” as boos rained down.
Boxing – or certainly this fight being sanctioned as a proper fight – needs examining. Having seen it, I’m not sure it should have been allowed.
Even though this was not a real fight, Joshua should have made it so. He clearly did not, even if early reports suggest Paul has a broken jaw from the bout.
Joshua walked away with a reported $50 million in the bank for his part in the show, leaving Paul to ponder his next move in a world where likes and views count for little when faced with a true heavyweight punch.
The build-up, as expected, was a carnival of the absurd. Paul, with his legion of online followers and a relentless promotional machine, had done his utmost to inject his usual brand of chaotic energy into the traditional solemnity of a heavyweight contest.
From the pre-fight press conferences, replete with meme-worthy soundbites and audacious claims, to the weigh-in that felt more like a celebrity red-carpet event, Paul left no stone unturned in his quest for maximum engagement.
Joshua, ever the professional, remained largely aloof, his focus unwavering in the digital din.
The opening bell brought an immediate shift in atmosphere. The raucous cheers of Paul’s devoted fanbase, many of whom were experiencing a boxing event for the first time, were on the edge of their seats as Paul moved and circled, moved and circled. Joshua hunted him down, but with little urgency.
Joshua, leaner and seemingly more agile than in some of his recent outings, moved with predatory grace. His jab, a weapon that has dismantled much more formidable opponents, was used as a rangefinder. Paul, to his credit, showed courage.
He attempted to move, to feint, to unleash some of the wild, looping shots that have served him well against lesser opposition. But Joshua was a different proposition altogether.
Joshua admitted he was not happy with the performance, but claimed that he had patiently taken Paul apart.
While Paul has brought new eyes to the sport, this bout served as a stark reminder that the sweet science, at its highest level, remains an unforgiving arena where skill, power, and experience reign supreme.
05:32am
Watch: job done for Joshua
05:25amVideo
The knockout blow:
05:24am
More from Lennox Lewis:
05:21am
Lennox Lewis’ verdict:
05:18am
Eddie Hearn:
05:16am
Jake Paul’s reaction:
05:13am
More from Joshua:
05:09amKey moments
Joshua’s reaction, and a Tyson Fury call out
05:04am
Inevitable result, later than predicted
Ultimately, a vintage straight right by AJ to end the fight, just much later than predicted. A cut-throat celebration to mark it, but that took much longer than it should have. Paul predicted a fifth or sixth round knockout win and as soon as he sought to attack in those rounds he was in trouble.
The gloves are raised and AJ raises Paul’s as a mark of respect. He’s been adorned by a huge ‘Polymarket’ chain, not-so-subtle product placement.
05:00am
Muted celebration by AJ
Joshua was throwing out of anger there and Paul was staggering all over the place. Once Joshua could finally got hold of him there was a sense of inevitability. The tongue-out taunt to submission is the epitome of this fiasco. So too were the repeated take down attempts. A relatively quiet celebration by AJ.
04:57amKey moments
Joshua wins
Paul did land one clean blow there, you wouldn’t have been able to tell by Joshua’s reaction.
Paul down again, he looks out on his feet, barely surviving this count.
Joshua still hasn’t landed anything of significance, and Paul is sticking his tongue out.
And it’s off! TKO in round six!
04:55am
Round five: Some action
Finally a significant blow by Joshua, and Paul swallows it before another collapse to the floor. Finally some attacking boxing from the pair, and Paul is staggering.
He’s given a count, his leg looks in pain - penance for the constant ground grappling?
Another count, which Paul survives. He’s saved by the bell. Referee Christopher Young kicking this fight to life with last round’s sage advice.
04:52amVideo
Round four: ‘The fans did not pay to see this crap’
Some slow-mos of Joshua looking frankly embarrassed in between rounds, entirely reasonably. Paul landing some jabs and the reputational damage is becoming somewhat excruciating as Paul follows it with a measly low grapple. Paul landing at just under 33%, Joshua, closer to 20%.
The low grapples, which look like take down attempts, are providing some awful optics for Joshua. The most recent prompts a break as Joshua’s knee lands in Paul’s unmentionables.
The commentators are incandescent. ‘The fans did not pay to see this crap’ says referee Christopher Young after the second pause.
Gareth’s score: Joshua 10-9
04:46am
Round three
Defensive advice coming in the Paul corner, the game plan is clear.
Joshua has thrown 47 punches, and landed just eight. Paul has landed four. A good fifth landed here though, before some more wild right swings from a frustrated Joshua. It’s more dodgems than bumper cars at the moment.
Gareth’s score: Joshua 10-9
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04:42am
Round two
More social distancing between the pair. Joshua swinging wildly, not the tidy technique we’ve become accustomed to.
Joshua continues to miss, Paul’s hands are down and he looks relaxed. Paul grappling well anytime he is cornered. Boos ringing out. Further reputational damage.
Gareth’s score: Joshua 10-9
04:38am
Gareth’s score
10-10.
04:37am
Round one
Paul instantly on the run, keeping his distance. Joshua biding his time. Paul lands the first blow, which doesn’t seem to effect the heavyweight before the two grapple to the floor.
It took Joshua two and a half minutes to throw anything with intent. Reputational damage in round one.
04:34am
AJ in the red corner, Paul in the blue
AJ in the red corner, joined by a Nigerian flag and Eddie Hearn in all-white with a British flag. His credentials take a good while to list off.
We’re an hour behind schedule but Paul’s achievements might not take so long to read out. A lot of flattery to plug the gaps.
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04:29am
Paul’s ring walk more flamboyant
Jake Paul on his way now, dressed in a tribute to WWE’s Hulk Hogan. Takeshi six-nine, who I’m told is ‘notorious’, accompanies him with the music.
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04:27am
Ominious US record
This is just AJ’s second US appearance. I needn’t remind you what happened in his first, the first of two against Andy Ruiz.
04:24am
Ring walks... finally
Must be over a dozen times that we’ve been reminded that this is an official, sanctioned bout. If you say it enough you might actually start to believe it’s true, and not an alternative reality.
Joshua to walk on first.
04:23am
Anthems sung
Anthems on the way in front of a packed stadium. God Save the King up first courtesy of Skye Bishop.
Star-Spangled Banner follows by Ally Brooke.
Lots of celebrities flashing across the screen throughout. I presume Americans know them? Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rio Ferdinand watched AJ beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2017. Feels a world away now.
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04:16am
‘About to get crazy’
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04:14am
David Haye is ringside
Here’s what the former heavyweight champion’s final comments are:
The host quickly reminds us that he failed to stop a 58-year-old Mike Tyson. A ‘brick-house’ is how he describes AJ, not the phrase I was taught!
04:06am
Rory McIlroy’s prediction:
On whether he could become a boxing analyst:
04:04am
Lennox Lewis’ prediction
A reminder to have a quick look at our key moments, where you can find links to pre-ight quotes from both fighters and expert analysis from Gareth in Miami.
Here’s what Lennox Lewis has had to say on the coverage:
04:00am
Ring walks imminent
The fighters are getting ready to walk out, Joshua getting his face vaselined, Paul wearing an ‘American made’ t-shirt.
Here’s a reminder of the tale of the tape:
03:54am
Ring being cleared
Netflix, and Kate Abdo, pushing the ‘disruptor’ tag for Jake Paul a lot this evening. Jury’s out for the moment.
03:52am
Baumgardner lives up to occasion
A good post-fight interview by Alycia Baumgardner, right to point out the enduring entertainment through 12 three-minute rounds in a women’s bout. A+ performance in her opinion.
Main event imminent.
03:49am
Baumgardner wins...
... by unanimous decision. Alycia Baumgardner retains her unified super-featherweight champion title.
Never in doubt, despite an entertaining hailmary in rounds 11 and 12 by Lela Beaudoin.
03:45am
Super-featherweight bout reaches climactic finish
The guards are down and incomes the slog fest. But it’s too little too late, the belts will surely go to Alycia Baumgardner as she pulls through the 12th.
Decision to come.
03:43am
Beaudoin hunting a knock out
An unexpected renaissance by Beaudoin in the 11th, which continues into the 12th. She wobbled Baumgardner a couple of times there. She’ll need a knockout so it’s all out attack...
03:40am
David Haye’s take
Worth repeating that Anthony Joshua is reportedly receiving £70m for his troubles tonight. Just keep it in mind as the circus draws closer. Gareth caught up with David Haye last week, who gave the following opinion:
Read the excellent full piece, where he discusses his own, pioneering media antics, here.
03:32am
AJ looking ominous
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03:31am
Main event delayed
We’ve hit the predicted ring walk time for the main event but there are still four rounds remaining in the women’s super-featherweight bout. It doesn’t look like Beaudoin can go the distance, though.
03:22am
Beaudoin saved by the bell
Half-way through the fight and the unofficial scorecard has Baumgardner 49-46 up, she’s leading the punches landed stats by 100 to 67. Both of Beaudoin’s eyes are very swollen.
And down she goes in the seventh! She’s saved by the bell after Baumgardner lands a huge right, all the equipment required to reduce the swelling in the break.
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Baumgardner dominating - Marco Bello/Reuters
03:14am
Baumgardner dominating
We’re four rounds into Alycia Baumgardner v Lela Beaudoin. It’s been one way traffic for the American Baumgardner, who has inflicted a lot of damage to Beaudoin’s face.
It’s all very flat in the Beaudoin corner, onto round five.
03:10am
Rory McIlroy is here
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Rory McIlroy is in Miami - Ivan Apfel/Getty Images
Between you and me, reader, I’m not operating at a high recognition rate for the red carpet photos coming across my screen. Lots of American celebrities – who is Young Thug? I do recognise Rory McIlroy, of course, who has made a beeline from winning the Sports Personality of the Year award to attend tonight.
03:03am
WBA, IBF and WBO super-featherweight world title fight
Gareth was right in saying this is a freak show with some real fights. We’re onto the penultimate fight between Alycia Baumgardner and Lela Beaudoin, who are competing for the WBA, IBF and WBO super-featherweight world titles over 12 rounds. A tentative first round.
On Netflix coverage watch, there’s an awful lot of Jake Paul flattery, rather than analysis on this fight. “The duke of destruction. Jake Paul has conquered everything he has set his eyes on and has changed the way we do business in boxing,” the commentator has told us. The latter is true, but the hyperbole has been ubiquitous through the night’s coverage.
02:43amAnalysis
Gareth’s audio verdict:
02:42am
Joshua getting wrapped up
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Megan Briggs/Getty Images
02:39am
Some more from Jake Paul:
02:34am
A more optimistic take from Gareth
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Chris Weidman, a fellow former middleweight UFC champion, was his rather friendly call-out.
02:25am
Anderson Silva wins
A stoppage in the second round for Anderson Silva! A ridiculous one too. The 50-year-old former middleweight scored a fairly innocuous knock down and Woodley clearly didn’t fancy continuing, getting waved off for essentially refusing to make eye contact with the referee. The classic theatrical protestations after.
Pay cheque received, let’s move on.
02:17am
Puzzling undercard
As if there was any need to underline how scandalous this evening is, the next fight is between Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva, aged 43 and 50 respectively. They were both fearsome champions of the UFC Octagon, but both lost to Jake Paul in their retirement. Inexplicably, they are now boxing each other. Wrong shaped ring!
I will say Silva looks much better for his age than Mike Tyson does. There’s no knee brace for starters.
02:12am
What the fighters have to say:
Anthony Joshua:
Jake Paul:
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Jake Paul has arrived with his brother and fellow influencer boxer, Logan - Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
02:05amAnalysis
Oliver Brown’s comment
Our Chief Sports Writer took a break from the shambles in Adelaide to address the shambles in Miami:
02:00am
Fighters have arrived
The fighters have arrived at the Kaseya Centre, Joshua clad in camouflaged under armour, the heavily tattooed Paul in a vest.
The first fight of the undercard has also concluded, Jahmal Harvey winning just his second professional fight by unanimous decision against the previously undefeated Kevin Cervantes.
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Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
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Ed Mulholland/Getty Images
01:53amAnalysis
Gareth’s prediction: a body-shot stoppage
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01:47am
The latest of many ‘freak shows’
The fight has, of course, already been labelled a freak show. Boxing is no stranger to a circus, but it seems tonight’s fight is on a fast track to take top spot in the annals of boxing scandal. And that’s saying something, given Paul’s bout with a knee-braced Mike Tyson last year only makes seventh in our list.
Find out what beats it here.
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Floyd Mayweather’s defeat of Conor McGregor ranks highly as one of boxing’s biggest ‘freak shows’ - Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports
01:43am
Some colour from Miami
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The Kaseya Centre has a capacity of 19,600 - Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
01:40am
Paul’s unconventional record
We all know Joshua’s ascent to world domination before Andy Ruiz toppled the empire. Dillian Whyte, Charles Martin, a prime Wladimir Klitschko. Two defeats to the indomitable Oleksandr Usky followed, before a knockout at the hands of Daniel Dubois dismissed Joshua’s brutalisation of Francis NGannou a false dawn.
Paul, on the other hand, has built up this illustrious record:
- AnesonGib, YouTuber, tko win
- Nate Robinson, ex-basketballer, tko win
- Ben Askren, ex-MMA fighter, ko win
- Tyron Woodley, MMA fighter, win by split decision
- Tyron Woodley, ko win
- Anderson Silva, ex-MMA fighter, win by unanimous decision
- Tommy Fury, boxer, defeat by split decision
- Nate Diaz, ex-MMA fighter, win by unanimous decision
- Andre August, journeyman boxer, ko win
- Ryan Bourland, journeyman boxer, tko win
- Mike Perry, MMA fighter, tko win
- Mike Tyson, ex-boxer, win by unanimous decision
- Julio César Chávez Jr., boxer, win by unanimous decision
01:23am
How the boxing world reacted to the fight’s announcement
Some suitably scathing comment from our writers coming up...
01:22am
Some background information...
We’re being reminded that Anthony Joshua became a two-time unified world heavyweight champion just months before Jake Paul’s first professional bout, a tko victory against British YouTuber ‘AnesonGib’.
Bewilderingly, their paths now cross in Miami, at the Kaseya Centre, home of the NBA’s Miami Heat.
Ring walks are predicted to take place at 3.30am, and the two are booked in for eight three-minute rounds with 10oz gloves. Paul previously fought eight two-minute rounds with 14oz gloves against Mike Tyson.
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Paul went the distance in reduced rounds against Mike Tyson in November last year - Al Bello/Getty Images
01:08am
Tale of the tape
01:07am
Odds strongly in Joshua’s favour
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Betting on the fight? Take a look at these best boxing betting sites, chosen by Telegraph Media Group, with an array of betting offers to take advantage of.
Hardly any surprises here. Joshua in the 1/10 region, Paul 13/2, draw at 25/1.
12:46am
Joshua vs Paul: The biggest mismatch in boxing history
It’s fight night. ‘Judgment day’. A warm welcome to all boxing fans, young and old, to whatever this is. A boxing fight? A circus? A live-action health and safety violation? A scandal whichever way. Further welcomes, and commiserations, to cricket fans who stayed up to follow the Ashes, but have finally wilted and switched over. It seems you have a penchant for watching a naïve pretender get taught a brutal lesson by an established pro.
Or at least that is the safe prediction. Is part of what makes Jake Paul’s assault on the boxing world regrettably compelling at times the nagging doubt? The what ifs? Surely he cannot trouble, let alone beat, Anthony Joshua? Joshua is the two time heavyweight champion of the world and boasts a professional record of 28-4 with 25 knockouts. It’s much likelier that what makes Paul compelling is akin to the logic of slowing down as you drive past a car crash. Except in this instance the crashed car has been driving behind you with full beams on for the preceding half an hour – there is undoubtedly a guilty pleasure in seeing its demise.
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Joshua’s vast reach advantage was abundantly obvious at the weigh in - Lynne Sladky/AP
The disbelief that tonight’s fight is going ahead has been unanimous. Even Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s own promoter and ultimate salesman, has expressed his surprise. Our man on the ground, Gareth Davies, labelled it ‘demeaning for Joshua and dangerous for Paul’, while also urging any true boxing fans to support ‘AJ’ in his quest to end the advent of influencer boxing. Evidently, a comprehensive Joshua win is what it takes to do this, given the refusal to sanction the bout by the British Boxing Board of Control, among other authorities, is seemingly irrelevant.
Of course there is, for Joshua, good reason to take on the fight, with £70m reportedly headed to his bank account, but any fan of boxing will have to hope his motivations are more moral. It was thought the Jake Paul ‘problem child’ fiasco had reached a low point when he went the distance, and won, against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in November last year. A similar result against a champion training with team Oleksandr Usyk would cause unthinkable damage to a once reputable sport. There is not an informed voice in the sport, however, that genuinely believes that is possible.
For better or worse, we’re here now, so let’s try and enjoy it for what it is. With Netflix’s banishment of pay-per-view, at least viewing numbers will be high. Stick with us as we build up to ring walks, predicted to start at 3.30am, with analysis from Miami and insight from the world of boxing.
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