– This was the action of the decade! Unbelievable! Daniel Dubois destroyed Anthony Joshua in the best fight of his life! – commentators on the streaming platform DAZN were excited moments after the 27-year-old won a great victory in front of a packed house at Wembley, sensationally smashing the favored opponent.
The Dubois vs. Joshua fight was called the Battle of Britain. But that wasn't the only reason fight was very important. First, the IBF heavyweight championship was at stake. Second, the winner of this fight will most likely face the winner of the December rematch Oleksandr Usyk – Tyson Fury for the undisputed world championship. Third, Wembley had 96,000 seats. fanswhich is a record for this stadium for a sporting event.
Before the fight, Joshua was the clear favorite. The eight-year-old fighter had not only experience and physical condition on his side, but also self-confidence. After changing the training staff, Joshua won four times in a row, three of them by knockout.
Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and certainly not a former player MMA – Francis Ngannou – they couldn't match Dubois' class. The 27-year-old defeated Filip Hrgovic in June, winning the IBF belt. Dubois has lost only two fights in his career, one of which was to Usyk in Wrocław in August last year.
– I'm ready physically and mentally. It's good to be back on top – Joshua said before the fight. And the fans believed his words, because only 17 percent of DAZN users were betting on Dubois' victory.
Dubois demolished Joshua!
From the beginning, however, it was the younger fighter who dictated the terms in the ring. In the first round, Dubois showered Joshua with a series of punches, sending him to the floor. Only the bell saved the older Brit from a difficult end. Dubois also started the second round with a series of powerful punches, which staggered Joshua.
– He looks and hits like Mike Tyson! His self-confidence and consistency in action are incredible! – DAZN commentators were excited. And Dubois continued the show. At the end of the third round, the 27-year-old lunged at his opponent, again bombarding him with a series of punches, sending him to the canvas a second time. Just like in the first fight, Joshua was saved by the bell.
Early in the fourth round, Joshua went down again. When the Briton went down a second time in the same round, fans thought the fight was over, but the referee waved his arms to indicate that Joshua had slipped, not fallen, from his opponent's punch.
“You can't let him come back into the fight,” Dubois' trainers told their fighter before the 5th round. And the 27-year-old almost lost the fight. Joshua had a few “of his” seconds in the fight after he staggered his opponent with a powerful right hook.
Dubois clearly felt the blow from his compatriot and began to retreat to the corner. Joshua sensed the opportunity and rushed at his opponent, which ended in tragedy for him. Dubois counterattacked with two powerful blows that ended the fight.
Joshua fell to the mat as if struck by lightning and did not get up despite attempts. After the fight ended, the Briton took a long time to recover and was led to the corner by his trainers. This is a great sensation and the greatest success in Dubois' career, who will probably soon have the chance to increase the number of championship belts.
For Joshua, this is a brutal verification after several very good fights. Today, however, no one will remember his comeback, and previous losses to Usyk and Andy Ruiz Jr. The 34-year-old's career is once again at a turning point.