Tyson Fury gave his assessment of Daniel Dubois’ performance after the underdog knocked out two-time champion Anthony Joshua in a memorable clash at Wembley.
Dubois entered the fight hoping to retain the IBF heavyweight title, but knew AJ wanted to join an elite group of boxers that included three-time world champion Muhammad Ali.
The match, played before a record crowd of 96,000 under the famous arch, was a true ‘firefight’, with neither fighter concentrating on defense or winning points, instead pushing for a knockout.
And it was Dubois who put in a performance of maturity, dominating the two-time champion for four and a half rounds until the underdog delivered the decisive blow in the fifth round after a dramatic exchange of punches.
After the fight, former champion Fury gave his verdict on the spectacle and criticised critics for ‘writing off’ Dubois beforehand.
Tyson Fury has given his assessment of Daniel Dubois’ performance after the underdog knocked out two-time champion Anthony Joshua
Dubois showed a display of maturity by dominating the two-time champion for four and a half rounds
The match was played in front of a record crowd of 96,000 under the famous arch and was a ‘firefight’.
He said, “Great job.”
‘He did a really good job and he gave young Dan an honourable mention.
‘Everybody wrote him off, you know. When he came here he was the world champion and everybody talked like he was a bum.
“And he has shown what he is worth and that is very good for him. Fantastic. Fair play.”
Asked about Joshua’s performance, Fury reminded viewers of his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in May, a fight in which the Gypsy King lost on points after being knocked down in the ninth and 11th rounds.
“Listen, it’s heavyweight boxing — it happens, right,” he said. “It happened to me, it can happen to anyone.”
After the fight, AJ expressed his frustration at the way the long-awaited fight had gone, resulting in him almost certainly missing out on the deciding match between two Englishmen with his old rival Fury.
He said, ‘Honor to [Dubois] and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short.
Fury said: ‘He’s done very well and fair play to young Dan’
Speaking about Joshua’s performance, he said: ‘Listen, it’s heavyweight boxing, it happens, right?’
Fury pictured with Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn (right). Could the Gypsy King be next for Dubois?
“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.
‘I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and I made a lot of mistakes, but that’s the game.’
The fight was fought at a breakneck pace from the start of the first round, with Joshua dealing with an onslaught from his younger opponent that he will not soon forget.
After a few punches, a hard right followed, which brought Joshua to his knees at the end of the round.
Miraculously, Joshua managed to complete the count and the bell immediately sounded, capping off a stunning opening salvo.
The second three-minute set followed in similar fashion. A good shot early in the round had AJ reeling, but the 34-year-old somehow managed to steady himself with the help of the ropes and his opponent’s body.
He was only setting himself up for more punishment when Dubois landed another good left attack midway through the second round.
The match was played in front of a record crowd of 96,000 under the famous arch and was a ‘firefight’ in which Joshua was knocked down several times.
Miraculously, Joshua made the count and the bell sounded immediately afterwards, capping off a stunning opening salvo
A focused Dubois hit the Watford player with a right hand, sending him staggering back
In the third period a concentrated Dubois connected with the Watford player with a right hand, sending him reeling back again, as Wembley looked on in near silence, shocked by Dubois’ clinical display.
AJ was constantly getting punched in the body and head and it was one way traffic, he couldn’t even throw a punch.
At the end of the third round, more chaos ensued as Dubois landed more costly blows and the bell rang before the referee could count.
Once he was ready, he was confident that Joshua could fight on. But for how long?
A thrilling fight threatened to turn into a farce after the former champion stumbled twice early in the fourth round, causing confusion at Wembley. The referee ruled the first round a knockdown and Joshua punched his chest in dismay.
A timeout was called after Dubois hit a low ball, which Joshua stopped in time. The crowd was furious and wanted to see blood. Thousands of people booed this suffocating decision.
A fired-up Dubois then immediately came forward and shook Joshua again. After such a punishment, it was hard to believe that the pre-fight favorite was still standing up and winning.
And then the spectacular fifth part.
In between the important rounds, Joshua was incredibly audible as he chatted with trainer Ben Davison in his corner with tThe core message, spoken almost hypnotically, was: ‘roll the dice’.
And he threw the dice.
Joshua’s basic boxing skills left much to be desired during the electric match, but no one could fault his heart
Ultimately it was Dubois who raised his hand in a fight that lived up to expectations
The Londoner was able to celebrate with his younger brother after an incredible victory
The determined former champion hit Dubois with a hard right hand, causing the young fighter serious problems.
As Joshua felt blood, Dubois unleashed the punch of his career with a right hand, just a split second before the two-time champion could land his own finishing blow.
This time it was over for good for Joshua and you would think it was over for Fury too.