Daniel Dubois decisively retained his IBF heavyweight title with a dominant fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua, thrilling a sold-out Wembley Stadium.
Daniel Dubois left no doubt that he deserves to be called champion. The IBF heavyweight titleholder successfully defended his belt with a one-sided demolition of Anthony Joshua on Saturday.
Needing a little more than five rounds, Dubois flattened Joshua with a knockout flurry. He had threatened with knockdowns earlier in the fight.
“Are you not entertained?” Dubois said in his post-fight interview. The sold-out Wembley Stadium in London roared in response.
Dubois came out throwing power punches from the opening bell. His efforts paid off early as he dropped Joshua with an overhand right at the end of Round 1.
Joshua answered the count but never came close to closing the gap. It was all downhill for him from there.
Round 2 started with Dubois in hot pursuit, quickly putting Joshua into survival mode. Dubois was unfazed by Joshua’s jabs and continued to pressure him, looking for the finish.
That almost came at the end of Round 3 as Joshua was again dropped before the bell. He managed to eke out a few more minutes of action.
Joshua was slipping and sliding all over the ring with Dubois bearing down on him. Though he put on a spirited performance, smiling and sticking his tongue out, it was obvious the end was near.
The end indeed came 59 seconds into the fifth round. Dubois landed a counter right that crumbled Joshua, leaving him on his hands and knees unable to answer referee Marcus McDonnell’s count.
With the win, Dubois retained his undisputed IBF heavyweight championship. The English slugger held an interim belt elevated to undisputed status when previous champion Oleksandr Usyk relinquished his share of the title.
Usyk is scheduled to rematch Tyson Fury on Dec. 21 after previously defeating Fury this past May. Exciting times ahead for boxing fans!