Miami, Florida – Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua secured a decisive victory over social media star turned boxer Jake Paul, knocking him out in the sixth round of their highly anticipated, Netflix-backed bout at the Kaseya Center on December 19, 2025.

The fight, streamed live to Netflix’s estimated 300 million subscribers, was one of the most talked-about events in recent boxing history, combining the worlds of traditional professional boxing and influencer-driven spectacle.

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Fight Highlights and Performance

Joshua, 36, a two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist, used his superior size, experience, and power to eventually dominate the contest. Though Paul, 28, displayed surprising resilience, the bout descended into moments of farce, with Paul repeatedly falling to the canvas and grappling at Joshua’s legs. Referee Christopher Young even admonished the fighters in the fourth round, stating:

“The fans did not pay to see this c**p.”

Joshua began landing more precise and damaging punches as Paul tired. After knocking Paul down twice in the fifth round, Joshua sealed the victory in the sixth. With Paul backed into a corner, Joshua delivered a crushing left hand followed by a right to the chin, sending Paul crashing to the canvas for the knockout.

“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua admitted after the fight. “But the end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”

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Jake Paul’s Effort and Reaction

Despite the defeat, Paul earned praise from Joshua for his persistence.

“I want to give him his props – he got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way,” Joshua said.

Paul, visibly bloodied, suggested he might have sustained a broken jaw but remained upbeat about his performance:

“That was fun. I gave it my all. Anthony’s one of the best to ever do it. I’m gonna come back and get a world championship. I just got tired – it was so much handling his weight. But he hits really hard.”

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Stats and Fight Analysis

Joshua, fighting professionally for the first time in 15 months, landed 48 of 146 punches, while Paul managed only 16 successful strikes. Analysts noted that Joshua’s experience and technical skill eventually overwhelmed Paul, who had relied on movement and defensive scrambles to survive the early rounds.

The bout was widely anticipated due to Paul’s previous high-profile fights, including his controversial match against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a Netflix event the previous year. Boxing enthusiasts expressed concern prior to the fight about the disparity in size, age, and professional experience between the fighters, though Paul managed to exceed some expectations by lasting into the sixth round.

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Spectacle and Cultural Impact

The Joshua-Paul bout exemplifies the growing intersection of professional sports and influencer-driven entertainment. With a reported purse of $184 million, the fight was as much a commercial spectacle as a sporting contest, attracting global attention and trending across social media platforms.

While critics labeled parts of the fight as farcical, it reinforced Joshua’s status as one of the most dominant heavyweights of his era and highlighted the challenges faced by celebrity athletes transitioning into professional boxing.