Anthony Joshua made a thunderous return to the ring last Friday, stopping Jake Paul in the sixth round of a highly anticipated bout streamed globally on Netflix. The event, which marked Joshua's first fight in 15 months, attracted a massive audience of 33 million viewers, though this figure fell well short of the record set by Paul's previous contest.
Joshua Systematically Breaks Down a Game Paul
Despite the eventual knockout, former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was made to work for his victory against a determined but outmatched Jake Paul. The social media star turned boxer showed tremendous heart, surviving into the middle rounds before Joshua's superior power and technique proved decisive. Joshua knocked Paul down twice in the fifth round before finishing the fight with a knockout in the sixth.
In a post-fight interview, Joshua admitted it wasn't his sharpest performance but credited his own resilience after a long layoff since being stopped by Daniel Dubois. "I refuse to get hurt, I refuse to acknowledge getting hurt," Joshua stated. "As soon as he hit me, I stood there and I tried to hit him back." He also revealed a tactical approach, saying he wanted to give Paul a "systematic breakdown" and "see his soul leaving his body round after round."
Viewership Numbers and the Streaming Landscape
While 33 million concurrent viewers is a colossal number for a streaming event, it places the fight third on the list of most-streamed bouts. It sits behind the staggering 108 million who watched Jake Paul's victory over Mike Tyson last year, and the 41 million who tuned in for Terence Crawford's win over Canelo Alvarez in September. For context, Katie Taylor's trilogy fight with Amanda Serrano earlier this year drew six million viewers.
The figures underscore Netflix's growing influence in live sports broadcasting and the unique draw of crossover boxing events, though the Joshua-Paul fight did not reach the unprecedented heights of the Tyson spectacle.
Aftermath: Injuries, Call-Outs, and Legal Action
The physical toll on Jake Paul was severe. The 28-year-old revealed after the fight that he believed his jaw was broken, spitting out a mouthful of blood during his post-fight interview. He later confirmed the injury on Instagram, posting: "Double broken jaw. Give me Canelo in 10 days." Despite the defeat, Paul remained defiant, stating, "I had a blast... A nice ass whooping from one of the best to ever do it." He outlined plans to heal and then target a cruiserweight world title.
For Anthony Joshua, the victory sets the stage for a potential blockbuster 2026. He immediately turned his attention to a long-discussed domestic clash, calling out Tyson Fury. "If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put down his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves... step in the ring with me next," Joshua challenged. The win also comes amid reports that Jake Paul has been suspended indefinitely following the brutal knockout and is taking legal action related to the fight.
