Daniel Dubois stunned Anthony Joshua to retain the IBF world heavyweight title with a fifth-round knockout at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
Dubois (now 22-2 with 21 wins inside distance) had AJ on the canvas in Rounds 1, 3, 4 and 5 with an astonishing performance – and closed the show with a terrific counter punch that had AJ on his chest and counted out.
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It was a quite astonishing performance which left 96,000 fans at the iconic London venue stunned with the brutality of his work. He was simply sensational and had Joshua in trouble right from the start.
It was a devastating defeat for Joshua (now 28-4) – by far the most comprehensive of his career. And his dream of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion never looked likely to become reality.
Joshua vs Dubois Round-By-Round
This is how an incredible fight unfolded at Wembley Stadium:
Round 1
An astonishing start to this fight as Dubois has AJ DOWN at the end of the first round with a blistering right hand. It’s a fitting end to a terrific opening round from ‘Dynamite’, who dominates the session with his ramrod left jab. He tops things off by smashing AJ to the canvas and somehow he survives to the bell. Crisis time for Joshua.
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Round 2
Another terrific session for Dubois, with Joshua not quite recovered from that heavy knockdown at the end of the opening round. He has AJ in trouble three times in the round – every time that left jab setting up the big right hand. These are bad times right now for the challenger.
Round 3
Another astonishing round and AGAIN Joshua is down late in the round courtesy of another big right hand. Again AJ somehow beats the count as the bell goes with referee Marcus McDonnell asking him to walk forward. He has not recovered at all from that first-round knockout.
Round 4
ANOTHER 10-8 round for Dubois as he pummels Joshua again to the canvas early in the session – another huge right hand. Then AJ slips to the canvas and the crowd think McDonnell is waving it off, false alarm. It’s another dominant round from Dubois though – he is landing the bombs and Joshua is really leaden-footed and woozy. How has he even survived this long?
READ MORE: Anthony Joshua IGNORED Eddie Hearn advice after brutal Dubois defeat
Round 5
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SCENES as Dubois KNOCKS OUT JOSHUA to retain the IBF heavyweight title. It comes in the most amazing of circumstances. First AJ lands a peach of a right hand that has Dubois on wobbly legs. But as AJ moves in for the kill he’s smashed to the canvas by a brutal counter on the chin. He falls flat on his face and McDonnell counts him out.
Joshua vs Dubois Result
Dubois wins by KO in Round 5 and retains the IBF world heavyweight title.
