Welcome to another blog of “Breaking Down The Bout,” where we discuss the most impactful matches the combat sports have to offer. Today, I’ll be discussing the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua boxing match.
Background
On Dec. 19, 2025, Jake Paul, the former YouTuber turned pro boxer, faced the former unified heavyweight champion of the world Anthony Joshua. The fight was scheduled after Gervonta Davis, who was supposed to fight Paul before Joshua, backed out due to a civil lawsuit regarding domestic abuse.
Soon after the announcement of Davis’ pullout, a new opponent for Paul to fight was announced: Anthony Joshua. A former heavyweight champion, Joshua has defeated numerous elite boxers over the years, including Wladimir Klitschko, Andy Ruiz Jr. and Charles Martin. Many people had been critical of Paul’s opponent choice over the years, claiming that he fights smaller, less experienced boxers. Paul’s previously expected opponent, Davis, was in fact multiple weight classes below Paul, giving him the seemingly obvious and unfair advantage.
However, the quick turn of events that led Paul to be scheduled to fight Joshua shocked many, as this would easily be the hardest fight in Paul’s career. For once, Paul would be the smaller man in the ring and far less experienced. With the clear mismatch of experience and power between the two opponents, many speculated that Paul had been rigged to win. No one believed Paul would legitimately put his career on the line as a 13-to-1 underdog.
The bout
Both boxers walked out to the ring with live performances. Joshua walked out with Philadelphia rapper Freeway, but was still the seemingly more calm and collected individual. Paul, who notoriously has extravagant walkouts, continued his act with rapper Daniel Hernandez, commonly known as 6ix9ine.
After both boxers touched gloves in the middle of the ring, and when the bell rang, Joshua and Paul rushed to establish control of the ring. Joshua was showing more dominant footwork, continually trying to pressure Paul to the ropes. Paul responded with quick movements to avoid being trapped against the ropes by Joshua.
This game plan by Paul, commonly known as the tactic ‘stick and move,’ was working decently well for Paul in a few of the early rounds, even landing some clean punches on the former heavyweight champion. However, one prerequisite for a successful usage of the tactic Paul was attempting to employ, is a strong cardiovascular system, due to the constant movement. This was why Paul was showing to slow down just after a few rounds. He began moving less, and Joshua was landing more punches as Paul was against the ropes.
Eventually, Paul started clinching with Joshua to avoid the punches coming his way. Clinching is almost like hugging, which is not an optimal position for throwing punches. It acted as a safety net for Paul whenever a dangerous situation for him was near. Paul’s clinching, however, was unconventional. He would fall to his knees and practically hug the legs of Joshua. Jake’s brother, Logan Paul, spoke for Jake in a recent episode of his podcast, defending his use of the unique clinching, claiming it was to avoid the extra weight Paul would have to bear from clinching in an upright standing position, saving energy. Either way, Paul had clearly not saved nearly enough energy, as he simply couldn’t move his legs fast enough to avoid Joshua’s punches. As he was slowing down, he was getting caught against the ropes more and more. Joshua was just one punch away from ending the fight.
Then, one minute and thirty-one seconds into the sixth round, Joshua landed a clean right hand on Paul as he was forced into the corner of the ring by Joshua. Paul fell with wide eyes, seemingly shocked at the blow delivered by Joshua. Paul failed to stand before the referee’s count, and the fight was called. Joshua was the first person to knock out Paul, and in a devastating and dominant way.
The conclusion
Millions of people solely tuned into this bout to see exactly what happened, Jake Paul getting knocked out. However, many still respected Paul’s choice to get in the ring with a boxer such as Joshua. Realistically, there was no way Paul could have beaten Joshua, the best situation for him would have been to avoid getting knocked out for as long as possible., He managed to avoid it for about thirteen minutes until the seemingly inevitable caught up with him.
Regardless of Paul’s performance, he still went six rounds with a former heavyweight champion when only half a decade ago, he was making YouTube videos and living a lavish life. For Paul, this set up a possible bout with Francis Ngannou, who was knocked out in the second round by Joshua. Still, Ngannou has a massive size advantage, and most still believe it would go similarly to how Joshua’s bout with Paul did. These high-profile matchups have fueled criticism from longtime boxing fans, claiming they are circus matches that prioritize pure entertainment and massive paydays rather than competitive integrity and legitimate competitors who deserve the matchups more than someone like Paul with mainstream popularity. Others argue it keeps the sport alive, creating interesting fights that people want to see.
Thank you for tuning into “Breaking Down the Bout.” What did you think about this bout? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
