In front of a sold-out crowd of 96,000 fans, including boxing royalty and British celebrities, fortunes changed for two of the world’s top heavyweight talents in a shocking outcome between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua.
Dubois of London (22-2, 21 KOs) and Joshua of Watford (28-4, 25 KOs) delivered a Hagler vs. Hearns style barnburner of a fight, coming to a devastating ending for Joshua after Dubois scored four knockdowns en route to a fifth-round knockout victory. Dubois retains the IBF World Heavyweight title he won against Filip Hrgovic as a vacant interim title in June.
“I’m glad I done the business. I’m glad I proved everyone wrong,” said Dubois after the fight. “I’m glad I done the business. I’m glad I proved everyone wrong.
“They were all doubting me. The Lord had my back tonight. I wasn’t going to be denied. He could have thrown everything at me. I was going to come through it,” said Dubois, calling the whole experience a dream. “I knew it was my night tonight.”
“Most people had written him off,” said promoter Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions. “I said at the time, whoever goes on the back foot in this fight is going to get beat. He did that and stamped his authority on the fight from the first round.
Daniel Dubois: ‘I Wasn’t Going To Be Denied’
