Anthony Joshua breaks down what went wrong against Daniel Dubois as he explains exactly what happened before he was knocked out
- Anthony Joshua suffered a fifth-round knockout against Daniel Dubois
- The 34-year-old has already been taken down to the canvas three times before
- The former two-time world champion revealed what went wrong in his fight
Anthony Joshua admitted he went into ‘survival mode’ during his titanic battle with Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title.
The 34-year-old wanted to become a three-time world champion but was stunned after his 27-year-old opponent knocked him out in the fifth round.
Dubois looked the sharpest and hungriest fighter from the start, knocking Joshua out in the first round, showing his raw power and raw strength.
And over the next four and a half laps things only got worse for the former two-time world champion.
Joshua was knocked down two more times before the titleholder delivered the killing blow in the fifth inning after a dramatic flurry of punches.
Daniel Dubois defeated Anthony Joshua in the fifth round to retain his IBF heavyweight title
The 27-year-old winner appeared the sharper of the two throughout the match
After the fight Joshua explained what went wrong with him
Speaking to the BBC after his shock defeat, Joshua revealed what went wrong for him.
He said, ‘First round? Overhand right, chin up, no defense, kaboom.
“And then it kind of went downhill from there. I tried to turn it around, but it just wasn’t my night tonight.”
Joshua seemed unable to recover from the hard knockout that Dubois delivered to him in the first round.
Although he had moments of excellence, especially in the fifth round before a shocking knockout, he proved that he is still considered one of the best heavyweights.
He failed to show his true talent and be present at this important event.
Joshua revealed that things ‘went downhill a bit’ after his first-round knockout
Joshua revealed what went wrong in the fifth round despite starting strong:
‘I think I hit him with a good punch and then I tried to hit him, but then I got hit with an overhead right as I was doing the uppercut.
“The thing is, I didn’t prepare any shots. In a shootout like that, you really have to be a little bit more sniper-like.
“But once you get hit a few times, it’s survival. I’m in survival mode.
“I just want him out of there. There was a shooting and he hit me.”
Joshua admitted he went into survival mode during the fight
However, this does not mean the end of Joshua’s career as Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has indicated that he is likely to fight again.
‘I’m sure I’ll make use of that revenge clause.
“He’ll believe he can hurt Dubois, he’ll believe he can beat him.”
When Joshua was asked if this was the end for him, he said:
‘No, no, we’re gladiators. We had a bad day at the office.
Listen, people want to see me fight, I will fight. I will fight, that’s it.