IBF Heavyweight Title (First Defense for Dubois)
Wembley Stadium London, United Kingdom
DAZN PPV
Matchroom Promotions & Queensberry Promotions
Daniel Dubois 21-2-0 vs Anthony Joshua 28-3-0
Daniel Dubois pulled off the upset yesterday in London after sending Anthony Joshua down to the canvas four times. Dubois began his assault early in round one when he connected with a right hand thirty seconds in. That initial punch appeared to grab Joshua's attention and set the tone for what was to take place over the next five rounds. Joshua attempted to keep range but Dubois continued to close the gap effectively. He scored with his left hook and overhand right as he applied educated pressure over the first three minutes. A long overhand right connected and sent Joshua to the canvas near the end of the opening round.
Joshua made the mistake of backing up straight with his hands low and his chin high. He rose to his feed and seemed to still be shaken up as the round drew to a close. Dubois pressed his advantage early in the second round scoring head shots with both hands and even out jabbing his taller opponent. Trapped on the ropes Joshua showed toughness but was getting battered. Joshua succumbed to the pressure again late in the third round when a hard left hook caught Joshua. The shot staggered him to the ropes and the crowd rose to their feet. Referee Marcus McDonnell missed a knockdown when Joshua's glove touched the canvas. This turned out to be beneficial for Dubois who continued his assault on a trapped opponent and Joshua wilted and headed to his knee but got stuck in the ropes. Dubois landed a hard left hook to a defenseless Joshua and another at the bell that sent him down for a count.
Joshua went down early in the fourth round after two punches seemed to graze a shaky Joshua. He rose to his feet and patted his chest with each glove to try and show he was fine. Joshua sat on a right hand to try and time Dubois but was again under assault and fell to the canvas in what was rightly ruled a slip. Dubois took the round but Joshua finished sturdier than he started. Early in the fifth round Joshua landed a big right hand that shocked Dubois to his foundation and it looked like it could be a turning point. Dubois fell back and Joshua attempted to turn the tide and followed up with successive right hands. With his left hand low, Joshua tried to land the right but Dubois though hurt remained poised. Dubois responded with a counter right hand and then Joshua tried a right uppercut from a little far out. A short Dubois right landed and sent Joshua face first into the canvas where he received a ten count. Dubois scored an incredible knockout after a star making performance in front of 96,000 people.
Dubois: Daniel has now racked up three impressive victories in a row all inside the distance. He took the undefeated records of Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic and now dismantled the former unified champion Anthony Joshua. He is young, battle tested and now a star in the United Kingdom. Heavyweight is an interesting division right now with lots of interesting new blood and big fights have been made recently. A rematch with Usyk, a Joseph Parker fight, Zhang Zhilei, or Martin Bakole would all be great match ups.
Joshua: This was not a good performance and the type of loss that gives the perception that it might be time to hang them up. Outside of one big shot, Joshua was man-handed in there and easily defeated. There remain two fights I would be interested in seeing. One is Deontay Wilder, a longtime rival where a fight has not actually materialized. The fight was huge in the mid 2010's and has lost its luster but it still is a fight worth watching and would likely end in a KO. The other is a fight with another long time rival that he has not fought in Tyson Fury. Fury is set to rematch Usyk after losing his title and I expect him to lose again. It could be a great crossroads fight for both former champions.
From the Undercard:
12:1 underdog Josh Padley won a unanimous decision over undefeated Mark Chamberlain at junior welterweight
Former Olympian Josh Kelly survived a cut and late rally to defeat undefeated Ishmael Davis who took the fight on short notice at middleweight
Hamzah Sheeraz destroyed Tyler Denny in two rounds in a middleweight bout
Super featherweight titlist Anthony Cacace won a non-title fight by unanimous decision over former featherweight titlist Josh Warrington in a grueling fight
Former Olympian Joshua Buatsi defeated Willy Hutchinson by split decision after scoring two knockdowns and after Hutchinson had lost a point for fouls.
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