It was recently announced that, as expected, Anthony Joshua would take on Daniel Dubois for the IBF world title in Wembley Stadium on September 21st, in a bid to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. In the build-up to the fight, videos had emerged of Anthony Joshua sparring against multiple amateur boxers at once at his old amateur gym, Finchley ABC. However, the highly anticipated clash ultimately saw Daniel Dubois deliver a stunning upset, defeating Anthony Joshua via knockout in the fifth round to retain his IBF heavyweight title.
Anthony Joshua was set to face Daniel Dubois for Dubois’ IBF world title, following the IBF’s decision to upgrade Dubois to full world champion rather than interim, after his stoppage win over Filip Hrgovic on the 5v5 card in Saudi Arabia. Oleksandr Usyk had vacated the IBF belt on June 25, 2024, leading to Dubois being recognized as the full champion the following day.
Joshua came off a string of dominant performances, having defeated Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin, and Francis Ngannou since his losses to Oleksandr Usyk, winning all but one of those fights by stoppage. His professional record stood at 28-3 with 25 knockouts prior to the Dubois bout. This impressive run had seen him climb to third in the Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings, positioning him for another shot at a world title.
Dubois was coming off back-to-back career-best performances against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, following his own loss to Usyk, winning both fights by stoppage. His victory over Filip Hrgovic on June 1, 2024, earned him the interim IBF title, which was then upgraded to the full championship. With Dubois’ record of 21-2 with 20 knockouts, and AJ’s record of 28-3, with 25 knockouts, this fight was not expected to go the distance.
The Road to Wembley: Form and Title Stakes
The clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois was set to be a monumental event in British boxing, taking place at Wembley Stadium in front of a record-breaking crowd of 96,000 to 98,000 fans. For Joshua, it represented an opportunity to become a three-time world heavyweight champion, a feat that would further cement his legacy in the sport. His recent resurgence, marked by four consecutive victories, had rebuilt his confidence and standing after suffering two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Daniel Dubois, on the other hand, entered the fight as the reigning IBF heavyweight champion, a title he had inherited after Usyk vacated it. His path to the championship had been revitalized by impressive stoppage wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, showcasing his formidable punching power and renewed determination. Despite holding the belt, Dubois was widely considered the underdog against the more experienced and heavily favored Joshua.
Anthony Joshua Sparring Multiple Amateurs and Camp Insights
In a video on Twitter, Anthony Joshua was shown to have visited his old amateur gym, Finchley ABC, sparring with the up-and-coming amateur talent at the club. In one instance, AJ spars two amateurs at the same time, and even picks up a small cut from one of the kids he spars.
The choice of sparring partners and methods often offers a glimpse into a fighter’s strategy. It is unclear yet who the official Anthony Joshua sparring partners were for his Dubois preparation, though we had seen the former champion doing defensive drills with Aloys Junior, as well as mentions of Jeamie TKV on AJ’s Instagram a few weeks ago. German heavyweight Peter Kadiru also confirmed being part of Joshua’s camp for the Dubois fight. There have also been long-standing rumors from their earlier careers about Daniel Dubois having rocked or even floored Joshua during sparring sessions when Dubois was a teenager on the GB squad. While Dubois downplayed these incidents, stating he couldn’t remember them, Joshua acknowledged being “cracked with a good shot” but denied being knocked out.
The Upset at Wembley and Division Implications
The fight itself, held on September 21, 2024, at Wembley Stadium, proved to be a shocking and decisive victory for Daniel Dubois. Dubois started aggressively, immediately taking the fight to Joshua. Towards the end of the first round, Dubois landed a huge overhand right that sent Joshua to the canvas. Although Joshua beat the count, he appeared unsteady as the bell rang.
Dubois maintained continuous pressure through the second and third rounds, consistently landing clean power punches. Joshua was dropped again in the third round by a barrage of punches. The fourth round saw Joshua hit the canvas twice more, though one instance was ruled a slip. Despite being instructed by his corner to “roll the dice,” Joshua found a brief moment of success in the fifth round, landing a hard right hand that forced Dubois to retreat. However, as Joshua attempted to follow up, Dubois countered with a short right hand, sending Joshua to the canvas for the final time. The referee stopped the fight at 59 seconds of the fifth round, declaring Dubois the winner by knockout. Over the five rounds, Dubois landed 79 of his 196 punches (40% connect rate), significantly out-landing Joshua, who connected with only 32 of 117 punches (27% connect rate).
The outcome was a major upset, solidifying Dubois’ status as a legitimate world champion and improving his record to 22-2 with 21 knockouts. For Anthony Joshua, the loss dropped his record to 28-4 and resulted in a significant fall in the heavyweight rankings, from third to seventh. Immediately after the fight, Joshua expressed his intent to continue fighting, stating, “I’m a fighter for life.” His promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that they would likely invoke a rematch clause, with Dubois also expressing interest in a second bout. Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, suggested a potential rematch could take place as early as February 2025 in Riyadh. This dramatic turn of events has profound implications for the heavyweight division, potentially delaying Joshua’s aspirations for undisputed status and setting the stage for an intriguing rematch.
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