British boxer Daniel Dubois retained his International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title after he knocked down his opponent Anthony Joshua more than once in the fight's round, knocking him out in the fifth round, in a historic event in the presence of Counselor Bin Abdul Mohsen Al Sheikh, chairman of the board of directors of the General Entertainment Authority, in front of 96,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium in the British capital, London.
In the fight that took place yesterday, Dubois defeated his opponent, Joshua, because he was unable to get up again after the referee counted the full ten seconds without movement, so His Excellency Counselor Turki Al-Sheikh crowned the winner, “Dubois,” with the belt he kept off his wall.
Dubois said in a speech after the fight: “I thank everyone for congratulating me on the win. It's been a long journey and I'm very grateful to be in this position. Finally, I felt like things turned into reality. “The fight took place after Joshua injured me, but I was able to withstand that blow.
He further added, “It was not just about boxing, it was about fighting till the end. I am a fighter and I am always ready for a fight and my goal is to reach the highest level in this sport and achieve my full potential.”
On the other hand, “Joshua” said: “The opponent was strong, and I must give credit to him and his team. I will stay calm, maintain my professionalism and give my opponent the respect he deserves. I am a fighter for life, and we will continue to take risks. It was a combination of a fast and sharp opponent, and there were a lot of mistakes from my side, despite my anger, this is sport, and I will come back stronger in the future.”
Among the rest of the bouts, Josh Kelly excelled in the light middleweight bout, where he was able to defeat Ishmael Davis after a strong fight, and Kelly used his defensive and offensive skills very effectively to secure a unanimous decision win.
For the featherweight fight, Anthony Kakasi scored a thrilling win over Josh Warrington, as Kakasi was able to control Warrington throughout the rounds to earn the unanimous win after a hard-fought battle.
In the light heavyweight category, Joshua Buatsi faced his strong opponent Willie Hutchinson in a fight that lasted 12 rounds where Buatsi managed to secure a significant victory via unanimous decision of the judges after a close fight.
In the middleweight division, Hamza Shiraz defeated Tyler Denny in a thrilling contest in which Shiraz put up a strong performance in which he managed to control the fight and win.
In the lightweight category, Josh Pedley added an important win to his record by defeating Mark Chamberlain, as Pedley showed a clear superiority in tackling his opponent in terms of speed and flexibility.