Daniel Dubois DEFEATS Anthony Joshua with brutal KO in the fifth round at Wembley – as ‘Dynamite’ retains his IBF heavyweight title after shock victory against British rival

Daniel Dubois stunned the world and knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title on Saturday night to retain his belt.

The two British rivals finally met inside the ring to battle it out for the heavyweight title inside of a packed-out Wembley stadium and, to the surprise of many, it was Dubois who emerged victorious.

From the opening bell, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois put on a sensational display as he showcased his immense power and scored a knockdown in the opening round.

A stunned ‘AJ’ returned to his corner to seek the guidance of trainer Ben Davison and, in the second round, he did manage to hang on as Dubois pushed forward.

However, Joshua never looked as though he’d fully recovered from the early blow and was on the canvas once again in the third round, seconds before the bell rang. 

Once again, AJ composed himself in the fourth and never shirked 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 charged forward before the IBF heavyweight champion delivered a brutal counter right-hook that sent his rival to the canvas. 

Joshua attempted to get back to his feet for the third time in the fight but stumbled over and gave the referee a simple decision to call off the bout. 

There was clamour among the 96,000 fans in attendance as many couldn’t quite believe the emphatic display from Dubois on the night. 

However, speaking inside the ring after the bout, Dubois insisted that he’s not even reached his ‘full potential’.

‘I’ve only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!,’ 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.

‘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.’

Meanwhile, after the fight, Joshua remained humble in defeat and admitted he ‘came up short’ on the night – as he suffered the fourth loss of his professional career. 

Joshua said: ‘Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short.

‘You know I’m ready to kick off in the ring, but I’m going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.

‘I’m always saying to myself I’m a fighter for life… We keep rolling the dice.

‘I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that’s the game.’

The defeat to Dubois sparks debate over Joshua’s career and likely puts an end to the possibility that he will ever face rival Tyson Fury – who is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk in December. 

‘Dynamite’ Dubois, on the other hand, will be watching that bout attentively with the hopes of adding to his IBF heavyweight title. 

The 27-year-old has never faced Fury before but will be looking for vengeance against Usyk, should the Ukrainian win, after falling to defeat in their fight last year. 

Matchroom boxing chief Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, revealed what the next steps are for the Watford-based boxer following the defeat.

Speaking to DAZN, Hearn said: ‘I’m sure he’ll exercise that rematch clause, I think that’s a given. He’ll need a rest and it’s a dangerous fight. This guy’s growing in confidence all the time.  

‘He’ll believe he can hurt Dubois. He’ll believe he can beat him, but full credit to Daniel Dubois, he deserves all the credit tonight. It was a great performance from Daniel.’