Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their controversial, Netflix-backed bout in Miami on Friday night.

The fight at the Kaseya Center, where the pair reportedly split a staggering $184 million purse, had sparked widespread concern within boxing due to the vast disparity in size, experience and pedigree between Britain’s two-time heavyweight champion and Paul, an internet personality who has built a lucrative boxing career through novelty contests.

Despite those concerns, Joshua was forced to work harder than expected against his vastly less accomplished opponent. The early rounds were scrappy and disjointed, but Joshua’s superior power and physical presence ultimately proved decisive in the later stages of the scheduled eight-round contest.

The bout descended into farce at times, with Paul repeatedly dropping to the canvas and resorting to grappling at Joshua’s legs. Referee Christopher Young appeared visibly frustrated, warning both fighters in the fourth round: “The fans did not pay to see this crap.”

As Paul began to tire, Joshua — standing 6ft 6in (1.98m) — started to land with increasing regularity. He knocked down the 6ft 1in American twice in the fifth round before bringing the fight to a swift conclusion in the sixth.

Backing the 28-year-old into a corner, Joshua set up the finish with a heavy left hand before delivering a crushing right to the chin that sent Paul crashing to the canvas.

“It wasn’t the best performance,” Joshua, 36, admitted afterwards. “But the end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. That was the request going in, and it was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found its destination.”

Joshua also praised Paul for his resilience.

“I want to give him his props — he got up time and time again,” Joshua said. “It was difficult in there for him, but he kept trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.”

Paul, his mouth bloodied from the final exchange, said he believed his jaw had been broken but insisted he was satisfied with his showing.

“That was fun. I gave it my all,” Paul said. “I had a blast. I think my jaw is broken, by the way. But Anthony’s one of the best to ever do it. I’m going to come back and get a world championship.

“I just got tired, honestly — handling his weight was tough. With better cardio, I think I could have kept it going. But he hits really hard.”

The made-for-streaming spectacle came just over a year after Paul’s widely criticised bout against a 58-year-old Mike Tyson and had been heavily panned across boxing, with many warning Paul was risking serious injury.

While the early knockout many predicted did not materialise, Joshua always looked the more dangerous fighter. He landed 48 of 146 punches compared to Paul’s 16, as Paul scrambled to stay outside the range of the 2012 Olympic champion.

Joshua, fighting for the first time in 15 months, now turns his attention to a potential blockbuster clash with fellow former world champion Tyson Fury next year.

“We shook off the cobwebs, and I can’t wait to roll into 2026,” Joshua said. “If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, let’s put on some gloves and fight.”