Daniel Dubois stunned the world and knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their bout for the IBF heavyweight title on Saturday night.
The two British rivals finally met inside the ring to battle it out for the heavyweight title inside of a packed-out Wembley stadium and, to the surprise of many, it was Dubois who emerged victorious.
From the opening bell, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois put on a sensational display as he showcased his immense power and scored a knockdown in the opening round.
A stunned ‘AJ’ returned to his corner to seek the guidance of trainer Ben Davison and, in the second round, he did manage to hang on as Dubois pushed forward.
However, Joshua never looked as though he’d fully recovered from the early blow and was on the canvas once again in the third round, seconds before the bell rang.
Daniel Dubois (right) knocked out Anthony Joshua (left) in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title fight at Wembley stadium on Saturday night
Wembley was stunned as Joshua failed to recover from the brutal shot in the fifth round
Dubois caught Joshua coming in with a huge right-hook that sent AJ crashing to the floor
Dubois watched on as Joshua struggled to get back to his feet and the bout was waved off
Joshua was sent crashing to the canvas on three occasions during the blockbuster fight
Dubois put on a sensational performance to defeat his British rival on Saturday night
Once again, AJ composed himself in the fourth and never shirked away from the barrage of punches thrown by Dubois, who could smell a knockout victory coming.
It was all in the fifth after Joshua caught Dubois and charged forward before the IBF heavyweight champion delivered a brutal counter right-hook that sent his rival to the canvas.
Joshua attempted to get back to his feet for the third time in the fight but stumbled over and gave the referee a simple decision to call off the bout.
There was clamour among the 96,000 fans in attendance as many couldn’t quite believe the emphatic display from Dubois on the night.
However, speaking inside the ring after the bout, Dubois insisted that he’s not even reached his ‘full potential’.
‘I’ve only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!,’ he declared.
‘It’s been a journey and I’m grateful to be in this position. I’m a gladiator, I’m a warrior until the bitter end.
Dubois celebrated with his IBF heavyweight title in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley stadium
There was respect between the two British stars inside the ring at Wembley after the bout
Dubois landed several huge right-hooks that had Joshua stumbling around the ring
The 34-year-old was given standing counts on two separate occasions during the bout
‘I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
‘Behind the scenes, the work with my dad. I’ve been on a rollercoaster run, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.’
Meanwhile, after the fight, Joshua remained humble in defeat and admitted he ‘came up short’ on the night – as he suffered the fourth loss of his professional career.
Joshua said: ‘Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short.
‘You know I’m ready to kick off in the ring, but I’m going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.
‘I’m always saying to myself I’m a fighter for life… We keep rolling the dice.
In the end, trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel and rushed into the ring as it was waved off
After the fight, Dubois insisted that he still hasn’t ‘reached my potential’ in the boxing game
‘I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that’s the game.’
The defeat to Dubois sparks debate over Joshua’s career and likely puts an end to the possibility that he will ever face rival Tyson Fury – who is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk in December.
‘Dynamite’ Dubois, on the other hand, will be watching that bout attentively with the hopes of adding to his IBF heavyweight title.
The 27-year-old has never faced Fury before but will be looking for vengeance against Usyk, should the Ukrainian win, after falling to defeat in their bout last year.
