Dillian Whyte remains confident Anthony Joshua still has plenty to offer in the boxing world and insists AJ ‘had’ Daniel Dubois right where he wanted him before the 27-year-old delivered the ‘final blow’ that put end to their confrontation.
Dubois retained his IBF world heavyweight title with a career-defining performance against Joshua on September 21. Fighting in front of a record crowd of 98,000 at Wembley Stadium, the Queensberry fighter floored Joshua four times before securing a fifth-round knockout.
The defeat was a bitter setback for Joshua, who had hoped to reclaim the heavyweight throne and become a three-time world champion by defeating the 27-year-old.
While some have questioned whether AJ should consider retirement, citing a perceived loss of his “spark”, Whyte is convinced the two-time world heavyweight champion still has more to give.
talking to Sky Sports News Following Joshua’s loss to Dubois, Whyte was unequivocal in his support of AJ: “He still has a lot left in the tank and is still a big draw.”
Whyte pointed to Joshua’s power as proof that he remains a force in the division: “As you can see in the fight, he’s still a big puncher.” He had Dubois going before he delivered the final blow.
Dillian Whyte remains confident Anthony Joshua still has plenty to offer in the boxing world and insists AJ ‘had’ Daniel Dubois right where he wanted him before the knockout.
Dubois (right) knocked out Joshua (left) in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
‘AJ’ fell to the canvas after a superb counterpunch by Dubois in September
When asked about the possibility of Joshua retiring, Whyte dismissed the idea: “It’s hard to say, he’s young, he’s strong and he looks in incredible shape.” He still has a lot of fight ahead of him.
‘People put too much emphasis on a loss in heavyweight boxing. That’s why many fights don’t happen. They aren’t made because people put too much emphasis on winning, losing and drawing instead of enjoying the fact that two of the best are fighting each other now, which wasn’t the case a few years ago.
The prospect of a rematch between Joshua and Dubois is already generating excitement, with fans eager to see if the drama of their first fight can be repeated.
A second showdown between the two would likely draw a global audience, given the high stakes and spectacle of their initial encounter.
In their first meeting, Dubois broke with tradition as the reigning champion and entered Wembley Stadium first.
Once in the ring, the 27-year-old wasted no time showing off his power, dropping Joshua with a huge knockdown in the first round.
A stunned Joshua retreated to his corner at the end of the first round to seek advice from trainer Ben Davison.
In the second round, AJ managed to weather the storm, holding on as the IBF heavyweight champion pressed on.
Despite Joshua’s resistance, he fought to regain control of the fight. In the final seconds of the third round, he was sent to the canvas again after another thunderous shot from Dubois.
Wembley were stunned when Joshua failed to recover from a brutal right hook in the fifth round.
Dubois celebrated with his IBF heavyweight title in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
Dubois kept up the pressure in the fourth round, landing another crushing uppercut that left Joshua’s corner visibly worried.
Somehow, the 34-year-old dug deep and stood up, moving forward despite the punishment he had endured.
The fight came to a dramatic end in the fifth round. Joshua momentarily caught Dubois with a powerful shot and charged forward, but the IBF champion responded with a perfectly timed right counterpunch that sent AJ to the ground for the fourth and final time.
Joshua tried to get up but stumbled, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
The prospect of a rematch is already fueling speculation, with fans eager to see if Dubois can replicate his dominant performance or if Joshua can bounce back.
The stakes for a second fight are enormous, and the outcome will likely have far-reaching implications for the heavyweight division.