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Anthony Joshua's immediate two-word reaction to Daniel Dubois KO has left people talking

Anthony Joshua's immediate two-word reaction to Daniel Dubois KO has left people talking

It was a crushing defeat for Anthony Joshua, who was the bookies' favourite to win against Daniel Dubois

Anthony Joshua had an immediate, two-word reaction to opponent Daniel Dubois after he was knocked out in the fifth round of the Wembley fight on Saturday (21 September).

AJ took on Dubois in the Riyadh Season fight and - despite being the bookies' favourite to win - AJ was knocked down a number of times before the match concluded.

Joshua was defeated by Dubois (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Joshua was defeated by Dubois (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

It was a devastating defeat for Joshua, who suffered a brutal blow in the first round before being dominated by Dubois throughout.

Although AJ seemed to be fighting back in the fifth round, one right hander from Dubois left Joshua face down against the side of the ring.

Although he tried to stand up and carry on, the ref made the decision to end the fight as his team rushed over.

Despite the brutal defeat, Joshua remained gracious in his loss, and according to SPORTbible, said 'well played' to Dubois, shortly after he was knocked down.

Fans had plenty to say about it, with one writing: "Shocked he could speak."

Another said: "Surprised he didn't say, 'I'm retiring'."

But AJ also kept his head up high when interviewed by media.

After being quizzed about the reason behind his defeat, he said: “The opponent but credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice and came up short. But everyone in Wembley I appreciate you.

“You know I am p***ed, I will keep my cool and be respectful and give all credit to my opponent.

“I always say I’m a fighter for life, we keep rolling the dice.

“If I am honest, I had a sharp opponent and a fast opponent and lots of mistakes from my end. As p***ed off as I am, it is what it is.”

Meanwhile, promoter Eddie Hearn said: "It's probably the only time in his whole career I've seen him really hurt - to the point he couldn't get up.

"Heavyweights get knocked out all the time, but it is the first time in his career he's been properly hurt.

"It's a difficult defeat but at this point you have to try and take any positives you can.

"The start was disastrous. The only positive is the unbelievable heart and guts he showed to never give up.

"As bad as he performed tonight, he still could have won the fight. In the fourth round he hurt Dubois, in the fifth round Dubois' legs bucked. But he walked onto a crushing right hand."

AJ was knocked down a number of times (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
AJ was knocked down a number of times (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Following the fight, some fans applauded AJ's sportsmanship, with one writing: "Huge heart shown. Hats off to both fighters for different reasons."

But others highlighted how he didn't refer to Dubois by name when interviewed after the fight, with one fan writing: "See how he's not calling Daniel's name? Says a lot of the animosity he has for Dubois."

Many others wondered if now would be the time for Joshua to retire.

But it seems he's not done yet, after releasing a statement following the defeat.

He said: "We took a shot at success and came up short.

"We are trying to create history for British boxing and I think we are doing that.

"Do I still want to continue fighting? Of course I want to continue fighting.

"Are we going to run away? We're going to live to fight another day. I'm a warrior."

Featured Image Credit: Richard Pelham/Getty Images/DAZN

Topics: Anthony Joshua, Boxing, Sport