The Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua boxing match on Friday ended how most people expected with Joshua winning by knockout. Paul lasted until the sixth round employing a strategy of circling on the outside and clinching when Joshua got close.
Questions were answered, though. First, the fight was not “fixed.” Paul ended up in surgery with a broken jaw. Second, Paul isn’t ready to face elite-level boxers.
The fight took place in the heavyweight division and Paul was visibly undersized. The influence-turned-boxer had fought most of his matches in the cruiserweight class. He kept his hands dangerously low and outside of a few overhand rights, didn’t present much of a threat to Joshua.
The Olympic gold medalist and former two-time heavyweight titleholder stalked Paul the entire fight but a former UFC champion believes Joshua ‘carried’ Paul to the sixth round.
Former two-time UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya knows what he witnessed and believes Joshua held back in the early rounds.
“I feel like AJ carried Jake Paul to the sixth round. I know what my eyes see, and I understand fighting,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “I know what my eyes were seeing in the early rounds.”
“I don’t know. This f*cking sh*t,” Adesanya said while watching the second round. “AJ lands better than this.”
“Nah, I don’t like it,” Adesanya said during the 4th round. “Like, I know what my eyes are seeing, so I can’t let my brain deceive me … I know what I’m seeing. I’ve seen shots that should have gone to the head go to the body.”
Heading into the fight, the 36 year-old Joshua had been out of action for 15 months and was coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
“They made money. Everyone is happy. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,” Adesanya said.