Anthony Joshua did not minimize the result. Nor did he gloat.
Instead, after stopping Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout on Friday night, the former two-time heavyweight champion offered a measured, revealing assessment of Paul — one that blended blunt honesty with genuine respect for the YouTuber-turned-boxer’s resolve.
“Jake done well while it lasted,” Joshua said afterward. “But fighting is not just physical, it’s psychological.”
Joshua, who entered the bout as a massive favorite, said the turning point came not simply from punches landed, but from the mental pressure that accumulates inside the ring — a reality Paul was experiencing for the first time against an active elite heavyweight.
Joshua Details Psychological Warfare Behind the Knockout
Joshua explained that he had warned Paul in advance about the mental toll of facing a seasoned heavyweight.
“When you understand the psychological warfare, I did say to [Paul]: ‘What’s going to happen is I’m going to see a time when I’m going to take your soul and you’re either going to give up or get knocked out,’” Joshua said.
“And unless you have that instinct, you just will never be a good fighter.”
Paul was dropped three times before the referee halted the fight in the sixth round. Despite the punishment, Joshua acknowledged that Paul continued to rise and attempt to reengage — something he said deserved recognition.
“I wish I could have knocked him out at the start,” Joshua said. “But as we saw, Jake has spirit. He has some heart and I take my hat off to him.”
‘A Lot of Fighters Haven’t Gotten in the Ring With Me’
Joshua emphasized that simply agreeing to the fight carried weight.
“No. 1, a lot of fighters haven’t got in the ring with me and Jake did,” Joshua said. “And secondly, even when he got knocked down, he kept trying to get up.”
For Paul, the bout marked the first time he had faced an active heavyweight champion-level fighter. His previous high-profile heavyweight outing came against Mike Tyson in November 2024, when Tyson was 58 years old.
Friday’s fight exposed the physical gap between the two men. Joshua entered the ring nearly 27 pounds heavier, stood five inches taller and owned a six-inch reach advantage. Compubox numbers underscored the disparity: Joshua landed 48 punches to Paul’s 16, including a 34-9 edge in power shots, with most of the damage coming late.
Still, Joshua framed the result as a learning experience rather than a humiliation.
Massive Payday Underscores Stakes of Paul’s Leap
Despite the loss, Paul walked away with one of the largest paydays in modern boxing history.
According to USA Today’s Marcus D. Smith, reports from Celebrity Net Worth, the Daily Mail and former UFC champion Michael Bisping estimated the fight’s purse at $184 million, with Paul and Joshua earning approximately $92 million apiece.
Paul later disputed that figure, claiming the total revenue was significantly higher.
“Stop asking me,” Paul wrote on X in November. “$267 million.”
Whether the final number lands closer to $184 million or Paul’s claim, the financial scale underscores why elite fighters continue to entertain bouts with him — and why Joshua acknowledged the magnitude of Paul’s leap into boxing’s upper tier.
Respect Earned, Reality Delivered
Paul had never been knocked out before Friday night. His only previous loss came via split decision to Tommy Fury in February 2023.
Against Joshua, the limits of Paul’s rapid ascent were laid bare. But in Joshua’s view, so was Paul’s willingness to test himself.
For all the spectacle surrounding the fight, Joshua framed the outcome simply: Paul stepped into deep water, stayed afloat longer than many expected, and paid the price that elite boxing often demands.
In the end, Joshua said, that effort mattered — even in defeat.
“Jake has spirit,” Joshua said again. “And I take my hat off to him.”
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