Joshua bides time, batters Paul in sixth-round KO

MIAMI -- Jake Paul found out the hard way that there are levels in boxing and that former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua operates on a different stratosphere than him.

In an ugly bout that lasted much longer than many predicted, Joshua knocked out Paul in the sixth round of their scheduled eight-round main event Saturday night at Kaseya Center. Joshua scored four knockdowns -- twice in the fifth round and twice in the sixth -- with the finish coming at the 1:31 mark.

Paul, a social media influencer-turned-professional boxer, circled away from Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) for the first half of the fight as jeers rained down in the arena. Paul's reluctance to engage ensured his survival early, but his conditioning betrayed him as the hulking Brit caught up to his tiring opponent and ended the fight with a scintillating straight right hand as chants of "knock him out" rang out.

"It wasn't the best performance," Joshua said while giving Paul his respect for showing up to fight. "It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination."

Joshua landed 48 of 146 punches (32.9%), with 31 of those punches landing in Rounds 5 and 6. Paul landed 16 of 56 punches (28.6%), including none in the sixth round.

Following his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) returned to action after a 15-month layoff in a fight that few predicted would actually happen. However, when Paul's November fight with Gervonta "Tank" Davis was cancelled after the WBA lightweight champion's recent legal issues, Paul was determined to find a new opponent before the end of the year.

Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) always had a fight with Joshua on his "hit list" and it came together quickly for the two to meet in a sanctioned heavyweight boxing match.

There were questions surrounding how seriously Joshua would take Paul as an opponent and the 2012 Olympic gold medalist was steadfast that he wouldn't take Paul lightly, regardless of how inexperienced he was.

Their differences came to a head inside the ring Friday night, as Joshua was focused on scoring a knockout while Paul did his best to survive.

Joshua entered the ring with Philadelphia rapper Freeway performing "What We Do," while Paul, adorned in Hulk Hogan-inspired ring attire, walked out with older brother Logan by his side and controversial rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine performing "Billy." Once the fight started, the two engaged in a game of cat and mouse.

There was a significant size difference between the two, with Paul weighing in at 216.6 pounds, the second heaviest of his pro career. Joshua came in at 243.4 pounds, under the contracted weight limit of 245 pounds. But it was Joshua's advantages of five inches in height and six inches in reach, not to mention his years of championship experience, that would be too much for Paul to overcome.

Despite that, Paul survived longer than some of Joshua's previous opponents, which included Francis Ngannou and Otto Wallin. But surviving and mugging his opponent wasn't going to win the fight, as Joshua was in constant pursuit to finish the fight as early as possible. A restless crowd yearned for more action and Paul's strategy was to avoid getting himself in trouble and hoping to catch Joshua with his overhand right.

After numerous clinches and tumbles to the canvas, a worn-down Paul found himself forced to fight back in Round 5. He managed to cut through with a right hand, but an unfazed Joshua scored a pair of knockdowns, the first with a shot to the body and the second with a 1-2 right down the pipe.

Paul was wounded prey in Round 6 and Joshua rumbled in, clobbering Paul to the canvas with a right hand. Paul would make it to his feet but was unable to escape as Joshua landed a short right hand that put him down for good at the 1:31 mark. Paul smiled while down as if to suggest "you got me." He revealed afterward that the fight-ending punch broke his jaw.

Despite the injury, Paul said he wasn't demoralized and that he would continue his boxing career.

"Man, I've already won in every single way in life," Paul said of landing the unlikely fight with Joshua.

Paul added: "I'm going to come back and fight people my weight and go for the cruiserweight world championship at some point. I'm going to take a little break. I've been going hard for six years, so I'm going to take some time off."

The knockout victory gets Joshua back into the win column for the first time in more than a year. More important, it sets him up for a potential all-British showdown with former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The two have circled each other for years with a fight being teased but never coming to fruition. Fury is currently retired.

"If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his 20 fingers in some gloves, come and fight one of the realest out there," Joshua said. "Step in the ring with me next if you're a real bad boy. Don't do all that talking. Let's see you in a ring and talk with your fists."