Daniel Dubois, who was elevated from interim to full world champion status after Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk relinquished the International Boxing Federation(IBF) title in June, faced off against fellow Briton Anthony Joshua, Saturday, in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, the biggest postwar crowd for a boxing event in the United Kingdom.
Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) floored Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) four times in Rounds 1, 3 and 4 before the savage finish with a right to the jaw, after 59 seconds of Round 5.
"I'm fighting to get all the glory, to me I'm the hunter and I need to hunt," Dubois, 27, said after the fight.
Regarding who he fights next, Dubois said "All of the best, maybe Usyk, a big shot at my redemption, but anyone can get it. It's been a journey and I'm grateful to be in this position. I'm a gladiator, I'm a warrior until the bitter end. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential." The Ukrainian boxer who is also the WBC, WBA and WBO champion stopped Dubois in Round 9 in August last year.
Saturday's victory sets up the possibility of Dubois fighting for the undisputed world heavyweight title in 2025, against the winner of the Dec. 21 clash between Usyk and Tyson Fury. Both were ringside, Saturday.
On his part, Saturday's defeat was a crushing one for Joshua, 34, putting in doubt a pre-fight talk of a potential faceoff against Fury.
"Before I came here, I always say to myself I'm a fighter for life," Joshua said after the fight, Saturday. "You keep rolling the dice. I had a fast and sharp opponent, a lot of mistakes from my end."