The official judges' scorecards from Anthony Joshua's heavyweight victory over Jake Paul have finally been made public, weeks after their high-profile bout in Miami.
Unanimous Dominance Before the Knockout
The documents, shared by the Florida Athletic Commission, reveal that all three judges scored every single round in favour of Anthony Joshua before the fight was stopped. The judges for the contest, which took place earlier in December, were David Sutherland, Steve Weisfeld, and Michael Tate.
Joshua's dominance was emphatically underlined in the fifth round, where he scored two knockdowns against the YouTube star-turned-boxer. This resulted in a 10-7 round on all three cards. The sixth round was also marked as 10-7, but this became irrelevant as Joshua sealed the win with a brutal right hand that knocked Paul out cold and broke his jaw in two places.
Joshua's Mixed Feelings and Paul's Setback
Despite the spectacular knockout victory, which marked his return after a defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024, Joshua was critical of his own performance. The 36-year-old Brit stated he felt he needed to do better, calling the win a necessary step but not a true success.
"I had boxing on my back today," Joshua said. "I take myself as serious as I need to. You have to be prepared. One slip-up could cost you in that ring."
For Jake Paul, the consequences were immediate and severe. The 28-year-old suffered the first stoppage loss of his boxing career and has been suspended indefinitely by the commission. He will require medical clearance to fight again in Florida after undergoing surgery for his broken jaw, which forced him to spend Christmas consuming meals through a straw.
Tragic Crash Casts Shadow Over Future
The release of the scorecards comes amid devastating news for Anthony Joshua, following a fatal car crash in Nigeria on Monday, December 29th. Joshua, who was a passenger in a black Lexus Jeep, was involved in a collision with a stationary truck on the notoriously dangerous Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Tragically, two of his close team members lost their lives in the accident. Kevin Ayodele, Joshua's personal trainer and close friend, and Sina Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, were both killed. Joshua was hospitalised with minor injuries.
The incident has led many to question the former two-time world champion's immediate boxing future, including a potential blockbuster fight with Tyson Fury slated for 2026. Tributes have poured in for the two men, with flowers left outside Ghami's Evolve Gym in Colindale, north-west London.
One mourner, Agash Satkunarajah, reflected on the profound impact, saying, "For AJ I just don't know where this takes him. I think mentally he's going to be broken... it will be very difficult for him to continue when two of the most important people in your boxing career have passed away."
