Daniel Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round with a devastating right hand to the chin on a punishing night for the former world champion. Watch it below:
It was one-way traffic from the first round as Dubois put his opponent on the canvas, which AJ never seemed to recover from, before the brutal punch to end it.
Advert
It was a textbook potential 'career ender' for Anthony Joshua, as Frank Warren put it before the fight, in front of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium.
All of them revved up by Liam Gallagher, who delivered on three undisputed Oasis classics, rather than scrapping his brother on the undercard now that they’ve made up. See that below:
AJ was in for a scrap, however, and could not afford another defeat on his record - it read 28 wins in 31 fights going into the bout - as he hoped to end his career with another shot at Usyk, or Fury, to become undisputed world champion.
Advert
With the Gypsy King and Usyk ringside, Daniel Dubois stood in his way carrying the IBF world heavyweight title vacated by the Ukrainian, after he refused to pull out of his contracted rematch with Fury and fight his mandatory challenger for the belt.
Dubois, a fellow big puncher, is seven years Joshua’s junior at 27 and has also tasted defeat to Usyk before resurrecting his career with victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic.
Immediately into the fight, Dubois showed his pedigree and got straight into his work, dropping Joshua with a huge right hand in the first round to put his opponent on notice.
Advert
Saved by the bell, Joshua weathered the continuing storm from Dubois before he was stung with another right at the start of the third round.
Worse was to come as Dubois yet again rocked Joshua with a left hook to end the round. He didn’t look good on his feet.
AJ was back on the canvas again at the start of the fourth and in massive trouble. Surely it was only a matter of time. In the fifth though, he managed to land a walloping right before being knocked out by a counter-punch from Dubois.
Advert
It was a sensational night for Dubois, he kept on going and peppering Joshua with the big shots.
The occasion never got to him, as some suggested it could, and he'll be eyeing another one with all four belts on the line following the conclusion of Fury and Usyk in December.
Speaking after the fight, Dubois said: "I've only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?”
Advert
"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.
"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."
Anthony Joshua was equally full of praise and respect for his opponent, with Eddie Hearn teasing a potential rematch between the two. Watch what AJ said after the fight:
Many will wonder what's next for Anthony Joshua, who previously spoke about hanging up his gloves in two years time.
Whatever the ramifications of this fight and whether we finally see him fight Fury, he’s been a true warrior of the sport and a two-time heavyweight champion.
But it was Daniel Dubois’s night and many will have been left shocked by his total dominance. Let’s hope he can shake up the division and get it on for all four belts.
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Boxing, Oasis, Liam Gallagher, Noel Gallagher