Daniel Dubois brutally knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of a frantic fight on Saturday night.
‘Triple D’ had Joshua on the canvas four times en route to a dominant stoppage victory in front of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium.
Dubois floored Joshua in the opening stanzaGETTY
With that, Dubois successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title and punched his ticket for a fight with the winner of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk II on December 21 – who were both ringside on the night.
HE Turki Alalshikh had hoped to make the long-awaited all-British showdown between Joshua and Fury next but Dubois has now spoiled those plans emphatically.
Dubois got off to a confident start, forcing Joshua onto his heels in the opening round and trapping him against the ropes.
With Joshua back peddling, ‘Triple D’ looped a beautiful overhand right hand onto his adversary’s chin, which sent the Watford powerhouse tumbling to the canvas at the end of the opening stanza.
Luckily, he was saved by the bell but when he made his way off the stool, AJ looked dejected.
In the second round, he was immediately in trouble again as Dubois landed a huge right hand and piled on the pressure.
The 34-year-old held on for dear life and saw out another round by the skin of his teeth.
However, he wasn’t so lucky in the third frame as he slumped against the bottom rope by a left hook and a series of uppercuts.
Dubois continued chasing the stoppage like a man possessed and in the fifth round he eventually got it as Joshua opened up and went out on his shield.
Joshua backed up ‘Triple D’ with two big right hands but was caught by a clubbing straight and knocked unconscious.
Dubois retained his IBF title at Wembley Stadium in front of a British record crowdGETTY
Speaking in the immediate aftermath, an overjoyed Dubois said: “I’ve only got a few words to say: Are you not entertained?!
“It’s been a long journey, I’m grateful to be in this position.
“I’m a gladiator, I’m a warrior to the bitter end. I want to reach the top level of this game and reach my full potential.
“I’ve been on a rollercoaster ride.
“This is my time, this is my redemption story, and I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”
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