Daniel Dubois completely destroyed Anthony Joshua tonight, absolutely saying his arrival as an elite heavyweight at Wembley Stadium.
Dubois dropped Joshua within the first, third, and fourth rounds earlier than knocking him out early within the fifth spherical.
The win sees Dubois (22-2, 21 KO) preserve the IBF heavyweight title in his first protection. It was an absolute domination from the 27-year-old fighter, who has bounced again from two defeats at excessive degree in his younger profession and emerged as a honest and harmful prime heavyweight.
The knockout blow did come after Joshua had actually harm Dubois, at which level he took the danger and tried to open up, strolling onto a crushing proper hand from Dubois that signaled the top.
“I’ve simply been on a curler coaster journey, and that is my time, that is my redemption story,” Dubois stated.
“He’s finished brilliantly. All people right here sees a champion’s efficiency tonight,” promoter Frank Warren stated. “Two nice fighters within the ring and a champion’s efficiency. He’s finished every thing requested of him.”
Requested what’s subsequent for Dubois, Warren stated they’d look forward to the end result of the Usyk vs Fury rematch in December, and that he “could need to be out once more earlier than Christmas,” which may recommend Dubois that includes on that card.
“I shouldn’t say he’s on the prime of his recreation, I feel he’ll enhance as a fighter,” Warren added.
“Credit score to him and his staff, we rolled the cube and got here up brief,” Joshua stated, saying that Dubois, merely, was what went fallacious for him on the night time. He admitted he was mad about his defeat, however gave Dubois his respect for the win.
Joshua (28-4, 25 KO) additionally stated he can be again within the ring. “If I’m sincere, I had a pointy opponent, a quick opponent, and there have been lots of errors on my finish. That’s the sport. As pissed off as I’m, it’s what it’s.”
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn added: “(Joshua) was combating on coronary heart and want (after the primary knockdown). I’m so pleased with him as a result of he by no means gave up. His legs had been deceiving him and he simply stored on attempting. He harm Daniel Dubois, after which he bought grasping and walked straight onto a proper hand, and that’s all she wrote. That is what can occur, however AJ by no means gave up.”
Hearn stated he expects Joshua to execute the combat’s rematch clause. “Full credit score to Daniel Dubois, it was an important efficiency.”
Undercard notes
- Middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz blasted by way of Tyler Denny within two rounds to raise the European middleweight title and retain his Commonwealth belt, and the WBC’s “silver” title which, once they really feel prefer it, can imply one thing when it comes to getting a compulsory order. Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KO) seems just like the attainable way forward for the middleweight division at 25, along with his 6’3” body and bettering expertise a possible nightmare for any of the division’s champions. However you by no means know till you understand. Denny falls to 19-3-3 (1 KO).
- Joshua Buatsi bought a deserved win over Willy Hutchinson, although it got here with a little bit of baffling scoring from decide Grzegorz Molenda, who had it 113-112 for Hutchinson, who was dropped twice and likewise docked a degree, which suggests Molenda thought Hutchinson gained eight rounds of this combat. The rating is so dangerous that you simply virtually assume Molenda simply blended up his columns whereas scoring the combat, however reversing the totals would nonetheless imply Molenda thought Hutchinson gained seven rounds of the combat, in order that’s no good. Only a horrible rating. Buatsi (19-0, 13 KO) now has the interim WBO mild heavyweight title, and the hope there is perhaps extra that the Beterbiev-Bivol winner will vacate than really having to combat one in every of them in 2025. Hutchinson drops to 18-2 (13 KO) with a valiant effort in defeat, confirmed lots of coronary heart however was simply overwhelmed cleanly.
- Anthony Cacace handed Josh Warrington one other loss, and retained his IBF tremendous featherweight title though it wasn’t really on the road within the combat. Had Cacace misplaced, the IBF had been set to strip him, however now he nonetheless has that belt and should face Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez subsequent or additionally face being stripped. Cacace (23-1, 8 KO) had it powerful with Warrington (31-4-1, 8 KO) within the early going, however because the combat wore on Warrington simply didn’t have sufficient within the tank, and he’s now 1-4-1 in his final six. It was a superb effort, however no, he wasn’t actually near successful this combat, and it seems like he’s doubtless going to retire. Scores had been 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110.
- Josh Kelly improved to 16-1-1 (8 KO) in his middleweight debut, beating late substitute foe Ishmael Davis (13-1, 6 KO) by majority determination scores of 114-114, 115-114, and 115-113. It was a uninteresting combat with Davis, 29, closing stronger than he began, however Kelly positively deserved the win, most likely even by a spherical or so greater than he bought on the playing cards. Kelly, 30, doesn’t actually undertaking to have any nice future as a middleweight, however then middleweight can be very mushy proper now.
- To open the present, unheralded Josh Padley upset Mark Chamberlain, who has been weirdly hyped as Turki Alalshikh’s “favourite fighter,” over 10 rounds. Padley (15-0, 4 KO) got here out of the small halls purely to be An Opponent on this combat, however he dropped Chamberlain (16-1, 12 KO) within the eighth spherical and Chamberlain additionally misplaced a degree for holding within the ninth. That didn’t make the distinction although, because the scorecards nonetheless would have been in Padley’s favor, although doubtless on a majority determination as an alternative of unanimous. Judges had it 95-93, 96-92, 96-92. It’s an enormous win for Padley, and the 28-year-old will doubtless get one other shot on a Riyadh Season card, with a rematch very attainable.
