Anthony Joshua succumbed to a crushing loss against Daniel Dubois in front of a sold-out crowd at Wembley Stadium. The fight for the IBF heavyweight title saw the former champion brutally knocked out by Dubois’ thunderous overhand right, leaving him face down on the canvas.
From the opening bell, Dubois took the fight to Joshua by pressuring his rival and landing crisp combinations. In the opening round, he rocked Joshua with a massive right hand, sending him to the canvas. Although Joshua managed to survive the storm, Dubois controlled the pace with heavy jabs and relentless combinations.
In Round 5, a perfectly timed overhand right sealed Joshua's fate, as he crumpled to the canvas, unable to beat the count. With the victory, Dubois cements his place among the heavyweight elite.
Check out the finish below:
The boxing community took to X to react to Joshua's loss. Ryan Garcia wrote:
"Joshua had a great career but retirement is the best move. You were a great warrior and you did a lot and made a lot of money. Cheers!"
Boxing star Shakur Stevenson wrote:
"Respect champ [you] don’t duck or dodge anyone, [you] take all comers and put it on the line. [You] are a true champion for sure @anthonyjoshua"
Check out Stevenson's X post below:
Combat sports reporter Ariel Helwani summed up the thrill and agony of the fight in his post-event analysis.
Check out the video below:
Legendary boxing coach Teddy Atlas commented:
"Question I asked last couple of days was answered, ‘What is more powerful, the Will of a man who believes or the Skill of Joshua’. Will beats skill."
Meanwhile, Demetrious Johnson wrote:
"And my dumb a*s said he would beat @francis_ngannou in MMA."
Check out some of the reactions below:
Joshua, who succumbed to the fourth loss of his professional career, reacted to the defeat at the post-fight press conference, stating:
"Always walk with your head high, we rolled the dice, for the third time, 13 world title fights, not everyone has been successful, but they’ve all been entertaining. Do I still want to continue? Of course, I want to continue fighting. We took a shot at success and came up short. Do we run away? No, I’m a warrior, and the way the fight finished, we have to give credit to my opponent Daniel."
Check out Anthony Joshua's comments below (50:00):