Anthony Joshua ended his bout with Jake Paul emphatically, stopping the YouTuber-turned-boxer in the sixth round after a largely lopsided contest that many fans and analysts labelled embarrassing.

Paul opened the fight cautiously, circling the ring and avoiding sustained exchanges, while Joshua struggled early to land anything meaningful. The Nigerian-born former heavyweight champion appeared patient as Paul mixed movement with occasional taunts, but the action offered little excitement for much of the opening rounds.

The bout finally shifted in the fifth when Joshua unleashed a burst of aggression, dropping Paul twice and exposing the gulf in power and experience. A round later, Joshua closed the show with a decisive finish.

Earlier, the fourth round descended into farce as Paul repeatedly went to the canvas without being clearly hurt, prompting referee Christopher Young to step in and warn both fighters that “the fans didn’t pay to see this crap”.

Despite the criticism surrounding the spectacle, the fight proved lucrative, with Joshua and Paul each reportedly earning around $70 million.

“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua told Netflix.

“We have to give Jake his respect for trying and trying and trying, but he came up against a real fighter tonight that’s had a 15-month layoff, who shook off the cobwebs.”

After the victory, Joshua turned his attention to the future, calling out Tyson Fury and fueling talk of a long-awaited all-British showdown that could take place in 2026.