It was written. The British Anthony Joshua knocked out. former YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul, Friday December 19 in Miami (Florida), but it still took six rounds for the former heavyweight world champion to defeat his opponent.
This fight, broadcast by the streaming giant Netflix, aroused both curiosity and mockery since it pitted two boxers of unequal levels and sizes against each other, in front of more than 19,000 spectators, for a purse estimated at 184 million dollars (approximately 157 million euros).
A year after his pitiful victory against Mike Tyson, legend of the noble art then aged 58, the American Jake Paul (1.85 m, 98 kg) attacked a much younger and more dangerous opponent with Joshua (1.98 m, 110 kg), aged 36, Olympic champion in 2012 and fallen world champion of the premier heavyweight category.
Lightning in the sixth round
And the opposition indeed proved unequal once hostilities began, Jake Paul (28 years old) obviously presenting a very lower level. This ex-Internet troublemaker, who later became a professional boxer and promoter, appeared fleeing, clung to his opponent, and spent a lot of time on the ground, not because of the blows received but by dint of throwing himself into the Briton’s legs to avoid his powerful blows.
The first rounds of the fight therefore offered a frustrating spectacle, the two fighters exchanging almost no blows, Paul avoiding by all means, and Joshua (33 fights, 29 victories, 4 defeats) showing little initiative, despite a clear superiority.
After being counted twice in the 5e recovery, during which he still delivered a nice right to Joshua, Paul ended up taking lightning during the 6e round. Brave, he got up a third time after being counted before being definitively knocked out. a direct shot to the head.
This offbeat fight seemed to be built purely for buzz. Jake Paul (14 fights, 12 wins, 2 losses now) was initially scheduled to face American Gervonta Davis, another big name but in a much lower weight category, but changed his plans in November after new accusations of domestic violence were leveled against Davis.
“Not my best performance”
The boxing community was worried, before the fight, for the health of Jake Paul facing a powerful opponent with immensely superior technique.
“It wasn’t my best performanceagreed Joshua at the microphone of the organizers. The goal was to put him on the ground so that he was in pain, it took longer than expected but it was done. He defended himself well this evening. It takes courage. You have to give him respect for trying, but he faced a real fighter. »
Ex-heavyweight king whose career is now marred by numerous defeats, the last of which in September 2024 against his compatriot Daniel Dubois, Joshua took advantage of the extended microphone to launch a challenge to Tyson Fury, his whimsical compatriot and also ex-heavyweight champion, whom he never faced. Fury announced his retirement in January, but has already been able to come back after such an announcement.
