Anthony Joshua faced Daniel Dubois in a highly anticipated heavyweight bout on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium, which ended far sooner than expected. A crowd of 96,000 spectators witnessed Dubois claim victory by knockout in the fifth round, successfully defending his IBF heavyweight title.
Throughout the fight, Dubois dominated, knocking Joshua down four times before landing a decisive right hand to the chin that ended the match. In the aftermath, Dubois is set to challenge the winner of the upcoming fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on December 21.
Joshua reflected on his performance, acknowledging his opponent’s speed and citing numerous mistakes on his part. Dubois, displaying resilience even after taking a hit from Joshua, described himself as a warrior, determined to endure until the match concluded.
With this victory, Dubois improved his record to 21 wins and 3 losses, while Joshua’s record now stands at 28 wins and 4 losses. This fight marked Joshua’s first defeat in five bouts and added to the challenges he faces in his return to the heavyweight boxing elite.
The bout unfolded over five rounds, each revealing the intensity and ferocity of the competition:
In the first round, Dubois quickly established dominance, knocking Joshua down with a powerful right. Joshua managed to recover, but the momentum was clearly on Dubois’s side.
The second round saw Joshua struggling as Dubois’s aggressive style kept him on the defensive. Despite some counter-attacks from Joshua, Dubois remained in control.
Rounds three and four saw Joshua attempting to regain footing with some effective combinations, but Dubois continued to capitalize on mistakes, further weakening Joshua’s stance.
As the fifth round commenced, Joshua managed to unleash a strong punch. However, just moments later, Dubois responded with a decisive strike that led to the knockout victory.
In undercard action, Hamzah Sheeraz defeated Tyler Denny by TKO, and Joshua Buatsi claimed victory over Willy Hutchinson by split decision to win the vacant WBO light heavyweight title. Anthony Cacace also emerged victorious against Josh Warrington by unanimous decision, reinforcing his status as the IBF and IBO world super featherweight champion.
In the middleweight division, Josh Kelly managed a majority decision win over Ishmael Davis, while Josh Padley defeated Mark Chamberlain, knocking him down during their super lightweight bout and earning a significant upset win.