Daniel Dubois retained the IBF heavyweight title by knocking out former two-time world champion Anthony Joshua in the fifth round in a dominant first defence of his belt on Saturday.
Joshua had already been floored in the first and third rounds of a surprisingly one-sided fight at Wembley Stadium before falling face first after a straight right hand by Dubois. The referee waved off the all-British fight.
“This is my time, my redemption story,” said Dubois, who became IBF champion after the belt was vacated by Oleksandr Usyk in June. “I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”
Joshua entered as the favourite as he sought to emulate boxing greats like Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis as a three-time heavyweight champion.
However, he was outclassed by Dubois, who completed his mission to legitimize his status as a heavyweight titleholder.
Dubois has put himself in position to potentially fight the winner of the rematch between WBA, WBC and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
“I’m a gladiator. I’m a warrior to the bitter end,” Dubois said. “I want to go to the top level of this game.”
Joshua vowed to continue boxing after a fourth defeat over the last five years. This was the worst of them all, though. He was saved by the bell in the first and third rounds after the knockdowns.
“I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent,” Joshua said. “A lot of the mistakes were mine.”
