Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul after six scrappy rounds in their much anticipated bout which took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19, 2025, sealing a knockout in what turned into one of the most unusual yet high-profile boxing events in recent years.
Paul started brightly, using movement and boxing off the back foot to frustrate Joshua, who swung and missed repeatedly in the early stages. The American’s sharpness kept AJ at bay through the opening rounds.
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury being lined up for long-anticipated fight in 2026
The momentum shifted in the fifth when Joshua finally broke through, dropping Paul twice. Smelling the finish, AJ trapped him on the ropes, worked the body with his jab, and then unleashed a heavy right hand to end the fight.
Joshua followed the stoppage with a cutthroat gesture in the ring, putting the final stamp on a bout that will be remembered as one of boxing’s most chaotic spectacles.
The idea of Jake Paul sharing a professional ring with Anthony Joshua would have sounded ridiculous just a few years ago.
In 2020, Joshua was still ruling the heavyweight scene, having reclaimed his world titles from Andy Ruiz Jr. and defending them emphatically against Kubrat Pulev.
At the same time, Paul was only just stepping into the professional ranks as YouTube boxing began to gain momentum. He won his debut against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, showing flashes of potential, though the opposition was far from conventional.
