Sports
PHOTOS: Anthony Joshua Praises Jake Paul After Brutal Miami Bout
Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has paid tribute to Jake Paul after their encounter in Miami on Friday night, applauding the American’s resilience despite handing him a painful defeat.
Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, adopted a cautious approach early on, keeping his distance and avoiding prolonged exchanges as Joshua stalked forward. For long spells, the 28-year-old appeared intent on survival, refusing to trade until the Briton eventually cut off the ring and began to land with authority.
Once Joshua found his range, the damage followed. Paul absorbed sustained punishment over six rounds and later revealed he had suffered a fractured jaw, yet he repeatedly hauled himself back to his feet as the fight wore on.
Speaking after the contest, Joshua admitted he was not entirely satisfied with his own display but was quick to acknowledge his opponent’s courage.
“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua said after the fight, via Metro UK.
“The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That has been the request leading up. That was on my mind.
“It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination. Jake Paul, he’s done really well tonight. I want to give him his props. He got up time and time again. It takes a real man to do that.”
Paul, meanwhile, offered his own explanation for the defeat, pointing to fatigue and conditioning as decisive factors against the former world champion.
The American was knocked down four times during the bout and struggled to cope with Joshua’s size and power as the rounds progressed.
“My [jaw] is definitely broken. But man, that was good,” Paul said in his post-fight interview, also via Metro UK.
“I love this, so I will come back and get a world championship belt at some point and I’m not surprised [I lasted long against Joshua]. I just got tired.
“It was just so much handling his weight. If I had better cardio, I could’ve maybe kept on fighting. But he did amazing, and hits really hard.”
FOLLOW US ON:
