Was Anthony Joshua’s win over Jake Paul scripted? We may never get the complete story – this show fight was not much to salute: JEFF POWELL’s ringside report

Anthony Joshua did what he had to do, what he should have done, what he would have been ridiculed for not doing.

But it took longer than it should have. It wasn’t the only widely predicted round, but the sixth finally came when the true heavyweight unleashed his right hand.

We may never be given a full and transparent insight into the machinations woven into this complex act of debate.

Did AJ let the Problem Child off long enough to be praised for his quick effort and bravery once the heavy blows started falling?

I doubt he’ll tell us.

The fight was ridiculous at times but ultimately ended with Joshua knocking out Paul in the sixth round.

Was it scripted? Even so, there is no reason for Paul to accept this. It didn’t end with him fighting two rounds of the scheduled time and breaking his jaw. He simply said: ‘I had so much fun. That’s what boxing is all about.’

Well, not really, when a smaller guy gets beaten by a guy who is a two-time world heavyweight champion. But at least the prophets of death were stunned that Paul, who had been bouncing up and down like a yo-yo for most of the night, was still walking, talking and breathing.

There wasn’t much to greet Joshua about, but there was no harm done to his plans to take part in the long-overdue Battle of Britain with Tyson Fury next year. Saudi tycoons are willing to pay much more than they already have for this Friday night in Florida.

And Joshua said about it: ‘If that’s what Tyson means, I’m ready.’

Paul, on the other hand, says he will look for more opponents to come out of left field. Although preferably not as successful as his new friend AJ

The Troubled Child advised the world to ‘Watch and believe’ on the eve of this event, the greatest challenge of the crusade that disrupted the old order of the ring.

The referee lifts Joshua’s arm at the end of their heavyweight bout in Miami on Friday night.

Paul, who was saved by the referee in the sixth round, told Netflix he had ‘a lot of fun’ in the ring

Paul tried and failed to compete with Joshua at the Kaseya Center due to a complete mismatch.

Believe it or not, tens of millions of people couldn’t help but watch him compare his relatively diminutive frame to the massive AJ. When we arrived at Kaseya Center we were mostly on TV as tickets were still sold at the box office.

This 20,000-seat arena is home to the Miami Heat basketball team, but these beaches aren’t full of anticipation for the most intriguing fight in major boxing in many years. With the influence of the march, the house was almost full for the main event.

But that’s not the point. The driving force that brought this unlikely pairing together was Netflix, their tons of money and 300 million subscribers worldwide. If only a fifth of this potential audience was set to reach, it would still be huge.

This is entertainment. Like it or not, when sports are overshadowed by spectacle. And it’s hard to deny that multitasking Jake knows how to bring on the dazzling sparkle. He also lacks the appetite to take risks in his business portfolio, including boxing.

And beating Joshua is a huge risk for a YouTuber, no matter how famous he is.

Despite childish shouting from American announcers exhorting the crowd to ‘make some noise’, the atmosphere was initially more awe-inspiring than frenzy. The Star Spangled Banner brought them to life.

Joshua celebrates as he returns to the locker rooms after Netflix match

Despite ending the fight bloody and bruised, Paul still had time to stick his tongue out

When Joshua arrived at the arena, elegantly dressed in his battle gear, and appeared on the big screens, occasional whistles could be heard.

Oh, each of them had threatened to kill the other. Not that they really meant it. But when the drum is as big as a $140 million cat, it needs to be hit with enthusiasm.

Whether the star returns were in perfect shape, physically or mentally, for this event was a question that could only be answered in a ring expanded from the traditional 20 square feet to 22 square feet. It was probably done so that Paul could continue the maneuvers without being cornered and crushed.

Throughout the development week, Joshua appeared to be in a comfortable place somewhere between fatigue and the extreme media work required in exchange for oil control and apathy. Maybe the name of this place is complacency.

Paul looked like he was treating a sore throat and a cold and was very excited on the microphone. Victim of the new flu? Perhaps the harsh reality of the mission was kicking in. If so, the endless delay before getting to the ring will have weighed even more on his mind.

Her exaggerated dance entrance with yellow sunglasses showed no signs of anxiety.

In the first round, Joshua looked more cautious. Although Paul continued to dance away from him and probably won the first round with a few quick sorties.

Throughout the match, Paul jumped around the ring and sometimes even grabbed Joshua’s legs.

The Englishman pulled away from Paul in the sixth round after knocking him down for the final time

Joshua was more assertive in the second round but didn’t land that big right hand. He won the round.

Paul then confused dancing with grappling. Joshua made the right move but it didn’t land cleanly. Paul spent enough money to share this. And he was still there after two rounds when Joshua should have killed him.

Instead of knocking Paul out, Joshua continued to wrestle. And after two awkward falls, he was reprimanded by the referee, who gave the American time to recover.

But then it was over. If there had been an excuse before, Joshua got tired of it and beat Paul completely.