In a stunning heavyweight showdown, Daniel Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium in London, securing his IBF heavyweight title. Dubois, showcasing his dominance, knocked Joshua down four times before finishing him with a decisive right hand to the chin, leading to a knockout victory before a sold-out crowd of 96,000.
This victory puts Dubois in line for a title shot against the winner of the highly anticipated bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on December 21. Dubois’s record improves to 21 wins and 3 losses, while Joshua, who has struggled to regain his footing in the heavyweight ranks, falls to 28 wins and 4 losses.
Post-fight, Joshua reflected on the match, admitting to DAZN that he faced a sharp, fast opponent and acknowledged making several mistakes. He commented, “I had a sharp opponent and a fast opponent… a lot of mistakes from my end.” Dubois, on the other hand, remained optimistic despite sustaining an injury during the fight, proclaiming, “I’m just a warrior to the end, to the bitter end.”
The undercard had its share of thrilling moments. In the middleweight bout, Hamzah Sheeraz emerged victorious against Tyler Denny via TKO. Sheeraz dominated the early rounds, forcing the referee to stop the fight after a flurry of powerful punches.
Joshua Buatsi claimed the vacant WBO light heavyweight title, defeating Willy Hutchinson by split decision after knocking Hutchinson down twice in the fight. Meanwhile, Anthony Cacace retained his IBF and IBO world super featherweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Josh Warrington.
Kelly had a hard-fought victory over Ishmael Davis in a middleweight clash, winning by majority decision after a brutal 12th round.
In the evening’s concluding upset, Josh Padley defeated Mark Chamberlain by unanimous decision, blooding his opponent and claiming victory in the 10-round super lightweight bout. Padley, a full-time construction worker, improved his record to 15 wins with this surprising triumph.
The fight card highlighted several battles, with both established champions and rising stars showcasing their skills and determination in the ring.