Referee Issued Brutal Mid-Fight Warning to Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul

The referee delivered a strict warning to both Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul during a round of their Netflix super fight.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in the sixth round at the Kaseya Center in Miami.

While it was the outcome many had expected, it was not the first-round knockout that had been widely predicted.

Joshua ultimately knocked Paul down four times, but the first knockdown did not come until the fifth round.

There was little action in the opening half of the fight as Joshua grew increasingly frustrated with Paul repeatedly dropping to the canvas to avoid engaging.

On one occasion, the American claimed that he had been struck by a low blow, but his attempts to have a point deducted from Joshua were unsuccessful.

Anthony Joshua (Image: Getty)

After Paul fell to the floor once again, the referee brought both fighters together and issued a serious warning.

"Listen, the rough tactics have got to stop," he said.

"The fans didn't pay to see this crap. If you're gonna fight, then fight, but fight within the rules!"

From that moment on, Joshua took control as Paul began to tire.

The Briton knocked him down twice in the fifth round, leaving the American clinging on towards the end of the round.

Paul hit the canvas again early in the sixth before Joshua landed a powerful right-hander that brought the contest to a close.

Although Paul was able to get back to his feet and leave the ring unaided, which many boxing fans had feared would not be possible after facing an Olympic champion.

Jake Paul is five inches shorter than Anthony Joshua (Image: Getty)

For Joshua, it marked a successful return to the ring, having not fought since September 2024, when he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois.

• If you want to see even more from SPORTbible, make us a preferred source on Google

The 36-year-old admitted he was not at his top level.

He said: "It wasn't the best performance.

"The end goal was to pin Jake Paul down and hurt him. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination."

Joshua, who praised Paul in his post-fight interview, went on to call out Tyson Fury as speculation continues to grow about a potential all-British showdown in 2026.

"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, and come and fight one of the realest fighters out there, then step in the ring with me next if you're a real bad boy," he said.

"Let's see you in the ring and talk with your fists."