Anthony Joshua wasted little time early Saturday morning in Miami turning the page from spectacle to ambition, calling out Tyson Fury moments after stopping Jake Paul in a fight that ended with the YouTuber-turned-boxer going to hospital with a suspected broken jaw.
Joshua stopped Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight bout Friday night at the Kaseya Center, knocking him down four times in a one-sided fight that was structured as a global event supported by Netflix. Afterwards, the former two-time world champion was candid in his assessment of both his performance and what should come next.
“It wasn't my best performance,” Joshua said. “The end goal was to grab Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That was my request and that was on my mind. It took a little longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”
Joshua acknowledged Paul's resilience after a fight in which the American was repeatedly beaten but continued to rise.
“Jake Paul, he did really well today,” Joshua said. “I want to give him credit. He got up again and again. He had a hard time out there, but he kept trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that. We always tell everyone who laces up these gloves that we give them our respect. We have to give Jake respect for trying and trying and trying. Well done.”
But Joshua was clear about the hierarchy that the fight reinforced.
“Tonight he faced a real fighter who had a 15-month break,” he said. “We've shaken off the cobwebs and I can't wait to roll into 2026.”
That forward-thinking approach quickly escalated into a challenge aimed directly at Fury, with whom Joshua has long been linked in negotiations for a heavyweight bout.
“If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is and he wants to put his fingers down on Twitter, put on the gloves and come and fight one of the realest fighters who will take on any challenge, get in the ring with me next if you're a really bad boy,” Joshua said. “Don't do all this saying, 'AJ this, AJ that.' Let's see you in the ring and talk fists.”
Meanwhile, Paul acted particularly upbeat despite the punishment he suffered and the admission that he was seriously injured.
“I feel good. It was fun,” Paul said. “I love this sport. I gave it my all. It's fucking crazy. I had a blast. Anthony is a great fighter. I got my ass kicked, but that's what this sport is all about.”
During his post-fight comments, Paul revealed that he believed his jaw was broken after he spat blood during an interview.
“By the way, I think my jaw is broken,” he said. “It's definitely broken. A nice little ass whipping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this shit and I'm going to come back and keep winning.”
Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, confirmed at the post-fight press conference that the injury was being assessed but played down long-term concerns.
“We think he broke his jaw. He's OK,” Bidarian said. “We met with Netflix after that. He showered and went to the hospital. Broken jaws are very common in sports, especially boxing and MMA, and I think the recovery time from the doctors and surgeons we've already spoken to is four to six weeks.”
Despite the loss, Paul called the night another step on a long journey.
“Man, I’ve already won in every way in life,” he said. “My family, my beautiful bride [Dutch speedskating star Jutta Leerdam]. This sport has helped me a lot in my life. At some point I will come back and get the world championship belt.”
For Joshua, however, the message was simpler. The experiment was over, the hierarchy was restored, and attention now turned to unfinished business at the top of boxing's glamor division.
