Written by (This story first was published at USA TODAY.)
Anthony Joshua, climbing back up the heavyweight boxing ranks after setbacks, has tumbled yet again.
Daniel Dubois defeated Joshua on Saturday by fifth-round knockout and retained his IBF heavyweight title in front of a sellout crowd of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium in London.
Dubois knocked down Joshua four times and finished him off in the fifth round with a right to the chin.
“I’m a gladiator,” Dubois told DAZN when asked about getting hurt by Joshua just before he delivered the knockout blow. “I’m just a warrior to the end, to the bitter end.”
Joshua was in position to secure a likely fight against the winner of the Dec. 21 bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. Now Dubois, 27, will get that shot after improving to 21-3.
Joshua, 34, lost for the first time in five fights and fell to 28-4.
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DANIEL DUBOIS HAS KNOCKED OUT ANTHONY JOSHUA!!! WHAT A PERFORMANCE!#JoshuaDubois #Boxingpic.twitter.com/By8gbt42rT
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 21, 2024