Daniel Dubois came out on top in the battle of two British fighters at Wembley Stadium, knocking Anthony Joshua down early on and scoring a fifth-round knockout.
Jake Paul could only say “omg” after witnessing Daniel Dubois ‘ shock win against Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.
Joshua was able to beat the count after two early knockdowns but struggled to gain a foothold in the fight against his fellow Brit. When he hit the canvas again in round five, it was all over. Dubois’ fast start caught out his opponent, who was unable to deliver a response. Joshua was the favourite going into the bout after winning his last four fights, but couldn’t make it five in a row.
Paul, who is due to take on Mike Tyson in November, was one of a number of big names taking in the Wembley match-up. And the American appeared lost for words after the dominant Dubois display. “Wow Dubois going crazy Joshua looks super flat and uncoordinated,” Paul posted on social media early in the fight. Moments later, he wrote “BROOOOO I LOVE BOXING,” leaving him with nothing more than his short and sweet assessment after the KO.
While some were stunned by the manner of Dubois’ win, there was a sense from some that it was always possible. “I think it’s a tough fight for both fighters, they’re going to knock lumps out of each other and it could go either way,” Tyson Fury said ahead of the match-up. “It’s not a foregone conclusion; they’re both heavy punchers and could knock each other out,” the 36-year-old added.
“I’m looking forward to the fight. The real winners are the ones who come and watch people punch the f*** out of each other. I’ve only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!” Dubois told DAZN after his win. “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. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
“Behind the scenes, the work with my dad. I’ve been on a rollercoaster run, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.” He also suggested he’d be up for a fight against Oleksandr Usyk next to complete his redemption arc. Usyk was the last man to beat Dubois, with the Ukrainian scoring a knockout when they met in 2023.
“Oleksandr Usyk is considered to be at the moment the best heavyweight in the world and he gave him at that time his toughest fight, there’s no doubt about that,” promoter Frank Warren said. “He hurt him. I’d like to see him fight him now – but obviously he’s got to fight Tyson [Fury] first and I think that Tyson will take his scalp.”