(London) Britain’s Daniel Dubois knocked out fellow countryman Anthony Joshua in a one-sided fight on Saturday in front of a giant crowd at Wembley, a triumph for the 27-year-old boxer, who won the IBF heavyweight title in the ring.
Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois, more agile, mobile and powerful, knocked “AJ” down several times, from the first round itself, before delivering a final fatal blow at the start of the fifth round.
This is the 22e career victory for the Greenwich, south London native, the 21ste won by KO, against two defeats.
PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Daniel Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round.
Saturday night’s fight looked like a passing of the baton between the 27-year-old puncher and his elder Joshua (34), a two-time world champion, who was trying to return to the top of his noble art.
Dubois had already made a strong impression in his previous duel against Filip Hrgovic for the interim IBF belt in June.
The world title was then granted to him permanently, when its holder Oleksandr Usyk relinquished it by forfeit. But “Triple D” had admitted wanting to “become legitimate by winning this fight”.
He did so without a doubt, with an iron will displayed from the start and devastating blows at every turn, in front of the 96,000 spectators announced at Wembley, a record attendance for a boxing match in post-war Britain.
“I am a gladiator, a warrior to the end,” the winner told the crowd from the ring. “I have been on a roller coaster, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I will not stop until I reach my full potential,” he continued.
Joshua, the return stopped
PHOTO ANDREW COULDRIDGE, ACTION IMAGES BY REUTERS
Anthony Joshua
Constantly on the attack, Dubois sent Joshua to the ropes and to the canvas several times, notably in a third round where, already, the die seemed cast.
In the fifth, Joshua destabilized his opponent with a well-placed right, but the latter immediately responded and delivered the final blow, a powerful right to the chin.
A good sport, the defeated player acknowledged on the microphone the superiority of his rival of the evening, at the same time as the “errors” committed in the ring.
At 34, Joshua will have to overcome another big disappointment, he who was gradually getting back on his feet after three traumatic defeats.
The native of Watford, north of London, had experienced a first shock by losing against the American-Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr, in 2019, before losing twice to the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, in 2021 and 2022.
The last loss left him in tears and it took him some time to heal his morale. But before Saturday, he had become a punching and winning machine again in his previous four fights, including the last one against MMA star Francis Ngannou.
In London he was aiming for a third world title to become the equal of legends such as Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield.
Dubois can start dreaming of a fight against the winner of the rematch between Usyk, the unified world champion, and Britain’s Tyson Fury on December 21 in Riyadh.
Who does he want to face now? “All the best, maybe Usyk,” he smiled on Saturday.