Its packed arena witnessed the hard-fought fight as Dubois marked out his dominance atop the heavyweight division.
Dubois, who can be quite terrifying, was stepping into the ring as an underdog against a much more experienced Joshua, who was looking to reestablish himself as one of the division’s elite fighters. From the opening bell, Dubois came out with a much-improved technical skill set and approached the fight with such an unrelenting attitude that kept Joshua on his back foot for most of the contest.
It was nearly too close to call in the early rounds, as each man dished out big shots. Joshua, looking to control the pace with experience and a high boxing IQ, was loathe to give way to a pace controlled by the much younger rival, but it was his aggression and heavy hands that wore him down.
By the middle rounds, it was clear that Dubois was well on top, landing multiple clean shots that visibly stung Joshua.
In the ninth round, a good right hook found Joshua with its target and saw him taken to the canvas; though Joshua beat the count and continued in the fight, he was never the same as he was before the knockdown. Dubois continued to pressure, maintaining constant pressure until the referee intervened to stop the bout in the 11th round, awarding Dubois a TKO.
Speaking after the fight, Dubois said, “I am proud to retain the IBF title. I always believed in myself, and tonight I showed what I am capable of. Anthony Joshua is a great fighter, but I came in with a plan and executed it perfectly. I’m here to stay, and I’m ready for whoever comes next.”
Joshuah, gracious in defeat, gave praise to the victory that Dubois was able to hand him. “He’s a strong, young champion, and tonight was his night. I will go back to the drawing board, but this isn’t over for me.”
This victory placed Dubois in the record books among the few heavyweight contenders that have won through KO as IBF heavyweight champion and has consolidated his position at the top as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.
Fans are already speculating about possible future matchups with other top fighters like Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
