The curtain falls on Jake Paul’s boxing circus

Last updated on December 22, 2025

Boxing purists received an early Christmas present in Miami this year. After years of shaking their heads at YouTuber Jake Paul for “making a mockery” of their beloved sport—through his antics and dubious list of opponents—they finally saw him get his comeuppance. They witnessed what they had been wishing for since he burst onto the scene in 2018: Jake Paul getting bludgeoned by a “real” boxer, courtesy of Anthony Joshua.

In the sixth round of their scheduled eight-round bout, AJ showed Paul that “you can’t play boxing,” detonating a murderous right hand that cracked his jaw like a fortune cookie.

The moment Anthony Joshua knocked Jake Paul out! #JakeJoshua pic.twitter.com/TiP0ovbpzf

— Netflix (@netflix) December 20, 2025

Many have commended Paul for lasting six rounds with a two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist who dwarfed him in size. But that gives this spectacle far too much credit for what it truly was. This wasn’t an exhibition of courage or competitive spirit; it was an outrageous stunt, the kind YouTubers pull off for views. Like when his brother Logan infamously took a camera into Japan’s suicide forest.

Paul had no business sharing the ring with elite-level talent still relatively close to his prime. While he has shown improvement over the years to legitimize his circus act, at best, he possesses the skill level of a fringe regional contender. Fighting MMA fighters and washed-up boxers like Mike Tyson and Julio César Chávez Jr. were in no way stepping stones to facing someone who, not long ago, went 24 grueling rounds with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.

The “fight” was reminiscent of the famous stunt from Jackass: The Movie (2002), when stuntman extraordinaire Johnny Knoxville faced boxing sideshow Butterbean in a department store. The difference is that Knoxville’s shellacking was meant strictly for laughs— it was not a sanctioned bout broadcast globally on Netflix.

For the first five rounds, Paul vs. Joshua played out like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon, with the mouse frantically finding ways to avoid the big, bad cat. Paul did some showboating and, for reasons unknown, attempted a pair of single-leg takedowns as if he were inside an octagon. But when AJ stopped playing along, he brought the show to a categorical end. Jake got snapped by a giant British mousetrap.

Paul’s facial expression when Joshua’s right hand crashed into his chin said it all. It was the look of someone realizing he was in way over his head—mouth open, eyes wide—as if thinking, “Oh damn, this is for real.” It’s not a reaction you see from regular boxers, because, well they fully understand what they’ve signed up for. They know punches hurt—especially when they come from a monster like AJ.

The fact that this match was even sanctioned is baffling. As boxing promoter Tom Loeffler pointed out on X, it’s remarkable the bout was approved when, in 2018, the Nevada Athletic Commission refused to sanction a fight between Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Jaime Munguía, deeming the Mexican to be “too young and unproven” to face an elite pound-for-pound champion. But, as with many things in society, Florida seems to operate by its own rules.

Watching @jakepaul about to fight former heavyweight world champion @anthonyjoshua on @netflix. Impressed they got this fight approved when Bob Bennett of the Nevada Athletic Commission would not approve @GGGBoxing to fight undefeated Jaime Munguia 28-0, 25KOs at the time. Bob…

— Tom Loeffler (@TomLoeffler1) December 20, 2025

As for what’s next for Paul, the future looks murky. First, his jaw—broken in two places—must heal. Then he must determine whether his boxing brand still has an audience. Even for this fight, his appeal appeared to be fading. Reports indicated tickets were slashed to as low as $10, and even then, it didn’t help much, empty seats were visible throughout the arena.

The reality is that Jake Paul’s show has run its course. He proved he cannot compete with elite fighters. Everyone has now seen what they wanted to see: Paul put in his place in decisive, satisfying fashion. On to the next circus.