Dillian Whyte remains confident that Anthony Joshua still has plenty to offer in the boxing world and insists AJ ‘had’ Daniel Dubois right where he wanted him before the 27-year-old delivered the ‘finishing blow’ that ended their showdown.
Dubois retained his IBF world heavyweight title with a career-defining performance against Joshua on September 21. Fighting in front of a record-breaking crowd of 98,000 at Wembley Stadium, the Queensberry fighter knocked Joshua down four times before securing a fifth-round knockout.
The defeat was a bitter setback for Joshua, who had hoped to reclaim the heavyweight throne and become a three-time world champion by defeating the 27-year-old.
While some have questioned whether AJ should consider retirement, citing a perceived loss of his ‘spark,’ Whyte is adamant that the two-time heavyweight world champion still has more to give.
Speaking to Sky Sports News following Joshua’s loss to Dubois, Whyte was unequivocal in his support for AJ: ‘He’s still got a lot left in the tank and he’s still a big draw.’ he said.
Whyte pointed to Joshua’s power as evidence that he remains a force in the division: ‘As you can see in the fight, he’s still a big puncher. He had Dubois going before Dubois landed the finishing blow.’
Dillian Whyte (pictured) remains confident that Anthony Joshua still has plenty to offer
Dubois (right) knocked out Joshua (left) in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title fight
‘AJ’ was sent crashing to the canvas after a superb counter-punch from Dubois in September
When asked about the possibility of retirement for Joshua, Whyte dismissed the notion: ‘It’s hard to say, he’s young, he’s strong, he looks in amazing shape. He’s still got a lot of fight left in him.
‘People put too much emphasis on a defeat in heavyweight boxing. That’s why a lot of fights don’t happen. They don’t get made because people put a lot of emphasis on win, lose and draw instead of enjoying the fact that two top guys are fighting each other now, which wasn’t happening a few years ago.’
The prospect of a rematch between Joshua and Dubois is already generating excitement, with fans eager to see if the drama of their first fight can be repeated.
A second clash between the pair would likely command a global audience, given the high stakes and the spectacle of their initial encounter.
In their first meeting, Dubois broke from tradition as the reigning champion and entered Wembley Stadium first.
Once in the ring, the 27-year-old wasted no time showcasing his power, dropping Joshua with a massive knockdown in the opening round.
A stunned Joshua retreated to his corner at the end of the first round to seek advice from trainer Ben Davison.
In the second round, AJ managed to weather the storm, holding on as the IBF heavyweight champion pressed forward.
Wembley was stunned as Joshua failed to recover from a brutal right-hook in the fifth round
Dubois celebrated with his IBF heavyweight title in front of 98,000 fans at Wembley stadium
Despite Joshua’s resilience, he struggled to regain control of the fight. In the closing seconds of the third round, he was sent to the canvas again after another thunderous shot from Dubois.
Dubois kept up the pressure in the fourth round, landing yet another crushing hook that left Joshua’s corner visibly concerned.
Somehow, the 34-year-old dug deep and got back to his feet, pressing forward despite the punishment he had endured.
The fight came to a dramatic conclusion in the fifth round. Joshua momentarily caught Dubois with a powerful shot and charged forward, but the IBF champion responded with a perfectly timed counter right-hook that sent AJ down for the fourth and final time.
Joshua attempted to rise but stumbled, forcing the referee to call off the bout.
The prospect of a rematch is already fueling speculation, with fans eager to see if Dubois can replicate his dominant performance or if Joshua can bounce back.
The stakes for a second fight are massive, with the outcome likely to have far-reaching implications for the heavyweight division.
