Anthony Joshua knocks out Jake Paul in farcical fight that is dragged out for six rounds

Jake Paul dared to be great, but in the end, the inevitable happened – albeit a lot later than some anticipated.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul took Joshua six rounds before being dropped four times en route to a knockout loss in the sixth round.

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Through three stanzas, neither man landed anything of consequence as Paul circled the outside of the large 22-by-22-foot ring.

‘The Problem Child’ managed to get through with a few right hands, but for the majority of the fight, he hung on for dear life.

Frustration began to set in as Joshua reached desperately with his shots, as Paul stuck out his tongue and ran away.

Whilst Paul lasted longer than most expected, his unwillingness to engage led to a cacphony of boos ringing out around Miami’s Kaseya Center.

The lack of action resulted in referee Christopher Young stopping the fight and urging Paul to engage.

“The fans did not pay to see this c***,” said the third man in the ring.

The dressing down appeared to be the catalyst for change, as in the very next round, Joshua finally got to his man, dropping the internet sensation with a left hook that buckled his knees and sent him tumbling to the canvas.

To Paul’s credit, he got up and continued fighting, but the exhausted 28-year-old was quickly sent back down by a right hand.

Once again, he rose to his feet to meet the bell, yet the next round would be his last.

Another backhand floored him before a fourth knockdown marked the end of the fight.

Backing up into the corner, Paul was clipped by a left hook and then stiffened by a right.

A stunned look was painted across the ex-Disney star’s face as he hit the canvas and mouthed the words ‘wow’.

Paul tried to get up again, but this time, he couldn’t meet the count.

Although he didn’t require oxygen and was back standing to hear the official result being read out, Paul didn’t come out completely unscathed.

What did Jake Paul say after the fight?

“I’m feeling good, that was fun, I gave it my all, I had a blast,” Paul said.

“Anthony’s a great fighter, and I got my a** beat, but that’s what this sport is all about, and I’m going to keep on coming back and keep on winning.

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“I’ve already won every single day in life… I think my jaw is broken.”

What did Anthony Joshua say after the fight?

Joshua also seemed in good spirits despite the farcical nature of the fight.

“It wasn’t the best performance. The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down, hurt him – that has been the request leading up,” said Joshua.

“It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”

Joshua then praised his opponent’s performance before calling out Tyson Fury.

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“Jake Paul has done really well tonight. I wanna give him his props, it takes a real man to do that,” he added.

“He came up against a real fighter tonight, who’s had a 15-month lay-off.

“I needed to give this guy a systematic breakdown, I said I’m going to see his soul leave his body round after round.

“I said it, and that’s exactly what happened.”