Britain’s Daniel Dubois destroyed Anthony Joshua’s dream of turning into a three-times heavyweight world champion with a fifth-round knockout to retain his IBF belt at a packed Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Dubois dropped his compatriot to the canvas within the opening spherical with a stinging proper, the referee delivering a standing eight rely, and the 27-year-old proceeded to tear up the pre-fight predictions as swiftly as he ripped into his opponent.
Joshua, 34, took one other hammering in spherical two however managed to trip out the storm earlier than spherical three got here crashing down round him once more.
With Dubois touchdown extra fizzing right-handers, Joshua was actually on the ropes earlier than being saved by the bell.
He might barely stand on the finish of the fourth, after taking place once more with two minutes remaining, after which it was throughout within the fifth with the painstaking rebuilding of his profession instantly in ruins.
After touchdown a couple of promising blows, any indicators of a fightback pale with a proper to the chin that despatched Joshua down, the previous IBF, WBA and IBO champion this time unable to get again on his toes.
“I’ve solely received a couple of phrases to say: Are you not entertained?,” declared Dubois after the largest win, and first at Wembley, of a 24-fight profession with two defeats.
“I am a gladiator, I am a warrior to the bitter finish. I wish to get to the highest degree of this sport and attain my full potential.”
Organisers mentioned a British post-World Conflict Two report of 96,000 spectators attended the Saudi-funded combat at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Amongst them had been Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, singing three songs on his 52nd birthday forward of a reunion subsequent yr, and Ukraine’s WBC, WBA and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Usyk has crushed each Joshua and Dubois already and can combat Britain’s Tyson Fury, additionally current, in a rematch in Saudi Arabia in December.
Joshua may need hoped to have a crack on the winner of that combat however as an alternative faces an unsure future with Dubois sending a seismic ripple by the acquainted heavyweight panorama.
Dubois mentioned he hoped for an additional shot at Usyk, who beat him in 9 rounds in Wroclaw, Poland, final yr.
Usyk beforehand held the IBF belt however vacated it for the Fury rematch, with Dubois the interim holder and upgraded to world champion in June.
“Credit score to him and his staff. We rolled the cube of success, however we got here up brief,” mentioned Joshua after his thirteenth world heavyweight title combat left him with a report of 4 defeats from 32 bouts.
He had first gained the IBF belt in 2016 from Charles Martin at London’s O2 Enviornment. Joshua then misplaced it to Andy Ruiz in 2019 however gained it again later that yr. Usyk then took it from him in 2021.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn mentioned he anticipated to train a rematch clause.
