BOXING
Joshua stunned as Dubois defends IBF title with fifth-round knockout
Daniel Dubois claimed an eye-catching victory over Anthony Joshua with a fifth-round knockout in an all-British clash for the IBF heavyweight title.
Joshua was tipped as the pre-fight favourite, aiming to become a three-time heavyweight champion in front of a record-breaking 96,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Yet Dubois came out on the top, dominating from the off before catching Joshua with a brutal right-hand blow.
Advertisement
His reward will likely prove to be a clash with Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, who face off in their December rematch in Riyadh.
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) September 21, 2024
With Fury and Usyk watching on, Dubois came flying out the blocks, landing back-to-back jabs before downing Joshua in the first round with a bruising overhand right.
Challenger Joshua survived the count and was saved by the bell, before a further onslaught followed by Dubois resulted in a similar conclusion in the third just as the round ended.
Dubois floored Joshua once more just seconds into the fourth, with brief confusion as the referee waved for a knockdown rather than knockout as the one-sided bout continued.
Joshua appeared to have recovered, landing a few shots in the fifth before overcommitting as Dubois delivered the decisive blow to settle any talk over his IBF title, which was initially handed over by Usyk.
Must-Watch Video