LONDON (AP) — Daniel Dubois is now not an unintentional world heavyweight champion.
With a brutal fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua in entrance of 96,000 followers at Wembley Stadium, Dubois confirmed he is perhaps the actual deal — and the way forward for boxing’s marquee division.
“Are you not entertained?” Dubois roared to the gang after dominating the all-British title combat to finish his quest to legitimize his standing as a heavyweight titleholder, three months after gaining the IBF belt vacated by Oleksandr Usyk.
The 27-year-old Dubois entered the ring first — an uncommon twist given he was the champion — to strengthen the sensation this was being handled as a homecoming for Joshua, the decade-long darling of British boxing who was bidding to emulate the likes of Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis as a three-time heavyweight champ.
Dubois left the ring because the heavyweight’s subsequent large factor, having floored Joshua within the first and third rounds earlier than ending the combat 59 seconds into the fifth with a counter proper that despatched Joshua face first into the canvas.
Joshua’s nook threw within the towel however that wasn’t wanted. There was no coming again for a boxer whose finest days look behind him.
“That is my time, my redemption story,” mentioned Dubois, who put himself in place to probably combat the winner of the Dec. 21 rematch between WBA, WBC and WBO champion Usyk and Tyson Fury. “I’m not going to cease till I attain my full potential.”
As for the outclassed Joshua, he vowed to proceed boxing after a fourth defeat over the past 5 years. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, mentioned he needed to train the rematch clause.
This was the worst of all these losses, although. Joshua was saved by the bell within the first and third rounds after the knockdowns and put in a ragged efficiency all through, with Dubois getting by his protection with ease.
Joshua by no means recovered from an overhead proper late within the first spherical that knocked him down. He caught out his tongue towards Dubois as he returned to his stool however he was clearly damage, disorientated and weak.
The knockdown late within the third, off a giant left from Dubois, dumped Joshua onto his bottom by the ropes.
“I had a pointy opponent, a quick opponent,” Joshua mentioned. “However plenty of the errors have been mine.”
A report post-war boxing crowd in Britain witnessed a altering of the guard.
Joshua has been a advertising and marketing phenomenon for the previous decade, promoting out U.Ok. stadiums and making a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of {dollars} primarily due to his punching energy. He is perhaps again, however certainly not as a practical title contender after slipping to 28-4.
Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) is undoubtedly the long run. He mentioned after the combat that he needed one other shot at Usyk, to whom he misplaced in Wroclaw, Poland, final 12 months — however solely after sending the Ukrainian to the canvas with a disputed low blow from which Usyk was given time to get better.
In any other case, there’s probably a money-spinning combat with the 36-year-old Fury within the offing.
“I’m a gladiator. I’m a warrior to the bitter finish,” Dubois mentioned. “I wish to go to the highest stage of this sport.”
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AP sports activities:
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