Daniel Dubois on Saturday destroyed Anthony Joshua’s hopes of reclaiming the world heavyweight crown after handing the former champion a devastating knockout punch at Wembley Stadium.
Dubois was dominant from the opening round, knocking Joshua down twice before delivering the deadly right hand in the fifth round that sent the former two-time champion crashing face down to the canvas.
The referee ended the fight, sealing a stunning victory for Dubois and Anthony’s second knockout loss.
The 34-year-old Joshua suffered four-time knockdowns in the first four rounds before being knocked out by 27-year-old Dunois in the fifth round before 96,000 boxing fans.
Dubois, who became IBF champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title, shouted to the crowd after retaining the IBF championship, “are you not entertained?” before saying: “I’m a gladiator, you know?
“I’m just a warrior to the bitter end. I’m just ready to go. I want to go to the top level of this game and reach my potential. God bless you all.”
The loss for Joshua means that he has lost the chance to become a three-time heavyweight world champion.
However, he has vowed that the loss would not stop him from rebuilding despite admitting “we came up short”.
He said: “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. I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that’s the game.”
The fight had begun on a good note for Dunois, who took control early. He cornered Joshua to the ropes and dropped him with a powerful overhand right, which left Joshua visibly shaken.
He was floored again in subsequent rounds, managing each time to beat the referee’s count until the fifth time when the referee waved the fight to end even though he still wanted to continue.