Daniel Dubois surprised the world by knocking out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round to retain his IBF heavyweight title.
The two British rivals eventually met in the ring to battle for the heavyweight title in a packed Wembley Stadium, with Dubois surprisingly coming out on top.
From the kick-off, ‘Dynamite’ Dubois put on a sensational performance, showcasing his immense power and scoring a knockdown in the opening round.
A stunned ‘AJ’ returned to his corner to seek guidance from trainer Ben Davison and in the second round he held his ground as Dubois pushed forward.
However, Joshua never seemed to fully recover from the blow in his first round and was back on the canvas in the third round, seconds before the bell rang.
Daniel Dubois (right) knocked out Anthony Joshua (left) in the fifth round of their IBF heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night
Wembley was stunned when Joshua failed to recover from the brutal blow in the fifth round
Dubois caught Joshua with a huge right hook that sent AJ to the ground
Dubois watched as Joshua struggled to get back on his feet and the match was called off
Joshua was knocked to the canvas three times during the successful fight
Dubois delivered a sensational performance on Saturday evening by beating his British rival
AJ rallied again in the fourth and dodged the barrage of punches from Dubois, who sensed a knockout victory coming.
It all happened in the fifth inning, after Joshua grabbed Dubois and charged forward, before the IBF heavyweight champion delivered a brutal right hook that sent his rival to the canvas.
Joshua tried to get up for the third time in the fight, but stumbled, giving the referee the simple decision to wave off the bout.
There was great enthusiasm among the 96,000 fans present, who could hardly believe Dubois’ convincing performance that evening.
However, Dubois indicated in the ring after the match that he has not even reached his ‘full potential’ yet.
“I only have a few things to say, aren’t you enjoying yourself?!” he declared.
“It’s been a journey and I’m grateful to be in this position. I’m a gladiator, I’m a warrior to the bitter end.
Dubois celebrated his IBF heavyweight title in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium
There was respect between the two British stars in the ring at Wembley after the match
Dubois landed a number of huge right hooks that sent Joshua stumbling across the ring
The 34-year-old was given two standing counts during the match
‘I want to reach the top of this sport and reach my full potential.
“Behind the scenes, working with my dad. I’ve been on a rollercoaster ride, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”
Meanwhile, Joshua remained humble after the fight, admitting he “fell short” that night as he suffered his fourth defeat in 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 get in the ring, but I’m going to stay calm, stay professional and show respect to my opponent.
‘I always tell myself I’m a fighter for life… We keep rolling the dice.
Eventually, trainer Ben Davison threw in the towel and rushed into the ring when he was waved off
After the fight, Dubois insisted he still hasn’t reached “his potential” in boxing
‘I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and I made a lot of mistakes, but that’s the game.’
The defeat to Dubois sparks debate over Joshua’s career and likely ends the possibility of him ever facing rival Tyson Fury, who is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk in December.
‘Dynamite’ Dubois, on the other hand, will be watching the bout closely in the hopes of expanding his IBF heavyweight title.
The 27-year-old has never faced Fury before but will be looking to exact revenge on Usyk if the Ukrainian wins, having lost in their fight last year.