ANTHONY JOSHUA TAKES SIX ROUNDS TO OVERCOME JAKE PAUL IN MIAMI

LONDON, Dec 20 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- Anthony Joshua laboured to a six-round victory over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami, which did little to suggest the former heavyweight world champion will return to the upper echelons of the sport, PA Media/dpa reported.

Joshua, who is reportedly close to agreeing a long-awaited fight against Tyson Fury in Riyadh in 2026, was made to work far harder than he would have liked to extinguish the challenge of a brave, but extremely limited, opponent.

Joshua was frustrated in the opening rounds as he struggled to land a meaningful punch, with Paul happy to evade his opponent by moving around the ropes.

The 36-year-old, who last fought 15 months ago when he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois, was unable to produce the quick finish many had predicted, although the threat posed by the evasive Paul remained minimal as the American focused on avoiding his opponent rather than landing a blow of his own.

A missed overhand right from Joshua saw Paul poke his tongue out during the second round. The underdog did manage to land a jab midway through the third round, but a tedious contest continued to meander as the crowd became increasingly agitated.

The mood in the Kaseya Center was not helped as Paul repeatedly fell to the floor in a bizarre fourth round, which referee Christopher Young interrupted to tell the pair "the fans didn't pay to see this crap."

Joshua finally made his class tell in the fifth as Paul's hopes rapidly unravelled. A big left brought about the first count of the contest and a right-left combination 30 seconds later produced another.

To Paul's credit, he showed commendable heart to stagger through to the bell.

A further barrage from Joshua eventually saw Paul crumble in the corner during round six and the contest was called to a halt.

-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa