Daniel Dubois shocked the world and knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title fight on Saturday night.
The two British rivals eventually met inside the ring to fight for the heavyweight title inside a packed Wembley Stadium and, to the surprise of many, it was Dubois who emerged victorious.
From the start of the fight, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois put on a sensational display, showcasing his immense power and scoring a knockdown in the first round.
A stunned ‘AJ’ returned to his corner to seek guidance from trainer Ben Davison and, in the second round, managed to hold on as Dubois came forward.
However, Joshua never seemed to fully recover from the initial blow and was on the canvas once again in the third round, seconds before the bell rang.
Daniel Dubois (right) knocked out Anthony Joshua (left) in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
Dubois caught Joshua with a huge right hook that sent AJ to the ground.
Joshua was on the canvas several times before the referee stopped the fight in the fifth round.
Dubois watched as Joshua struggled to his feet and the fight was called off.
Joshua was sent crashing to the canvas three times during the blockbuster fight.
Dubois produced a sensational performance to defeat his British rival on Saturday night.
Once again, AJ regrouped in the fourth round and never shied away from the barrage of punches thrown by Dubois, who could smell a knockout victory coming.
It was all in the fifth after Joshua caught Dubois and attacked before the IBF heavyweight champion landed a brutal right hook that sent his rival to the canvas.
Joshua attempted to get to his feet for the third time in the fight, but stumbled, giving the referee a simple decision to wave off the fight.
There was an uproar among the 96,000 fans in attendance as many could not believe Dubois’ emphatic display that night.
Speaking inside the ring after the fight, however, Dubois insisted he has not even reached his “full potential”.
“I just have a few things to say, aren’t you having fun?” he declared.
“It’s been a journey and I’m grateful to be in this position. I’m a gladiator, I’m a warrior until the bitter end.
Dubois celebrated his IBF heavyweight title win in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium
There was respect between the two British stars inside the ring at Wembley after the fight.
Dubois landed several huge right hooks that sent Joshua reeling across the ring.
The 34-year-old was counted standing on two separate occasions during the fight.
In the end, trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel and rushed into the ring when he was told no.
‘I want to reach the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
‘Behind the scenes, working with my father. I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions, this is my moment, this is my redemption story. I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.’
Meanwhile, after the fight, Joshua remained humble in the face of defeat and admitted he “fell short” on the night as he suffered the fourth loss of his professional career.
Joshua said: “The credit goes to him and his team. We played the dice to succeed, but we didn’t.”
‘You know I’m ready to get in the ring, but I’ll stay calm, be very professional and give my opponent respect.
“I always tell myself that I’m a fighter for life… We keep rolling the dice.
Wembley was left stunned when Joshua failed to recover from the brutal blow in the fifth round.
After the fight, Dubois insisted he has not yet “reached my potential” in boxing.
“I had a very strong and fast opponent and I made a lot of mistakes, but that’s the game.”
The loss to Dubois sparks debate about Joshua’s career and likely ends the possibility of him ever facing rival Tyson Fury, who is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk in December.
‘Dynamite’ Dubois, on the other hand, will be watching that fight closely in hopes of adding to his IBF heavyweight title.
The 27-year-old has never faced Fury before but will be seeking revenge against Usyk, should the Ukrainian win, after being beaten in their fight last year.