IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois retained his title after he dropped Anthony Joshua in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday night.
With the win, Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), who made the first defense of his title on Saturday, sets himself up for a chance at fighting the winner of Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury 2, or if Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) exercises his rematch clause, a second fight with Joshua.
Dubois dropped Joshua four times in this fight. Once at the end of the first round, a second time in Round 2, and then had him in serious trouble in Round 4, after knocking him down one more time. Joshua, who clearly was not right since the first knockdown in Round 1, got up again in the fourth.
Finally, in Round 5, Dubois put Joshua away with a short right hand; Joshua tried but could not make the count, and the upset was complete!
After getting knocked out by Joe Joyce in 2020 and getting knocked down three times by journeyman Kevin Lerena in a winning effort, and even after Usyk stopped him, many did not think beating Joshua was possible for the 27-year-old Dubois; however, following the loss to Usyk, he has won thee straight and has turned his career around.
Regarding Joshua, at age 34, he might be nearing the end. In this fight, he was beaten up and beaten down; he showed some toughness, but his chin did not hold up. Joshua made it clear that he would continue to fight after the loss.
According to his promoter Eddie Hearn, Joshua still has one more fight with Riyadh Season. This opens up the possibility of a thrilling match against Deontay Wilder. Despite both fighters being past their prime, this potential fight still holds a lot of intrigue and excitement for fans.
At one point, Fury, Wilder, and Joshua were top guys in the heavyweight division, but that appears to be over. All three guys lost their last fights. Fury is 36, Wilder is 37, and Joshua is 34, Out of three, Fury looks like he some left, while Wilder and Joshua are probably at the end of the road.
Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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