Dec 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Jake Paul during a heavyweight boxing bout at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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Anthony Joshua Flattens Jake Paul With Devastating Knockout; Calls Out Old Rival

Dec 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Anthony Joshua celebrates after defeating Jake Paul during a heavyweight boxing bout at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Comeback stories in boxing don’t get much sweeter than returning after 18 months away. The ring rust, the questions about motivation, the doubters claiming your best days are behind you. Anthony Joshua faced all of that criticism heading into his fight against Jake Paul in Miami. But the former two-time heavyweight champion had other plans for his Netflix debut.

December 19 at the Kaseya Center became AJ’s statement night to the world. The 36-year-old Brit stepped back into the spotlight against the YouTuber-turned-boxer who had been running his mouth nonstop. Tyson Fury had even claimed he put a million-pound bet on Paul to win the boxing match, mocking Joshua relentlessly during the build-up. Nobody was giving ‘AJ’ the respect his resume deserved.

Anthony Joshua Demolishes Jake Paul

The fight started cautiously with Paul trying everything possible to survive the early rounds. He circled constantly, clinched whenever Joshua got close, and basically ran for his life. The first four rounds saw Paul trip and fall multiple times while desperately avoiding exchanges. Joshua looked frustrated initially because he couldn’t land clean shots on the moving target.

But patience pays off in boxing, especially when you possess Anthony Joshua’s knockout power. Round 5 brought the beginning of the end as AJ finally started connecting cleanly with his trademark right hand. Paul took a knee after one vicious shot but survived the count looking exhausted. Joshua smelled blood and battered him with combinations as the round closed.

The sixth round lasted just 91 seconds before the referee mercifully stopped the beating. Joshua floored Paul with a brutal right hand immediately after the opening bell. ‘The Problem Child’ got up but his legs wobbled underneath him badly. Another clean right hand sent Paul crashing down again, and the referee waved it off at the 1:31 mark.

ANTHONY JOSHUA JUST KNOCKED OUT JAKE PAUL IN ROUND 6!!!! #JakeJoshua pic.twitter.com/HfbrkBBCLq
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 20, 2025

Joshua’s performance shook off 18 months of ring rust in spectacular fashion. He showed the world he still possesses the speed, power, and timing that made him a two-time unified heavyweight champion. Paul’s professional boxing record dropped to 12-2, exposing the massive gap between social media hype and legitimate championship-level boxing.

AJ Calls Out Tyson Fury Next

After celebrating his victory, Joshua wasted no time calling out his old rival Tyson Fury. Before the fight, ‘AJ’ claimed Fury wasn’t even on his radar. But after flattening Paul convincingly, he changed his tune completely. Joshua challenged Fury to stop hiding behind “Twitter fingers” and put on some gloves instead.

‘We shook off the cobwebs and I can’t wait to roll into 2026. And if Tyson Fury’s as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight one of the realest fighters out there that will take on any challenge, step into the ring with me next. If you’re a real bad man, don’t do all that talking, “AJ this, AJ that,” let’s see you in the ring and talk with your fists.”

ANTHONY JOSHUA CALLS OUT TYSON FURY!

"Step in the ring with me next if you're a real bad boy." #JakeJoshua pic.twitter.com/m2ezb6gTFL
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 20, 2025

The call-out was personal and direct and the crowd erupted as Anthony Joshua delivered his challenge with genuine conviction. Both former heavyweight champions carry serious animosity toward each other, making this potential matchup even more compelling. Joshua looks ready to roll into 2026 with serious momentum after his Miami victory.

(Image Credit: Sam Navarro – Imagn Images)

Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!