Daniel Dubois’ former trainer accurately predicted he would beat Anthony Joshua seconds before the decisive punch was landed.
Dynamite Dan defeated Joshua with a knockout punch in the fifth round of their Wembley clash, having previously knocked down his opponent three times in the opening four rounds.
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However, one important piece of advice given to A.J. by trainer Ben Davison proved to be the final nail in the coffin.
speaking out BBC Radio 5 LiveShane McGuigan stood in the corner like a pundit, listening to advice.
Before the fifth round, Davidson could be heard advising A.J.: “We’ve got to be smart.
“Unless you’re galloping, he leads with the jab every time.
“Bring it out… throw the dice. Double the joy in his eyes, bring it out.”
McGuigan, who coached Dubois from 2021 to 2023, said: “I think that’s dangerous advice, to be honest.
“To get him up with the double jab, Daniel throws a straight right hand off that double jab.
“And by bringing it up he means the uppercut, he’s going to go straight for his short right hand.
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“If you ask me, I would say just keep your hands tight and get through the next couple of rounds and then use your athletic ability at the end.”
And just seconds into the fifth round, McGuigan’s analysis proved to be spot on.
AJ tries to counter Dubois’ jab with an upper cut to put pressure on him.
But he was then caught off guard, as Dubois landed a dangerous jab before Joshua could land an uppercut.
Round by round: How Dubois demolished Joshua
ANTHONY JOSHUA bravely picked himself up off the floor against Daniel Dubois – until he couldn’t go on any more.
AJ was knocked down four times by Dubois in round five before a powerful counter right ended the show in dramatic fashion.
Here, SunSport’s Jack Figg gives you a round-by-round look at the Wembley battle.
round 1
Dubois moved quickly with the jab and had Joshua bouncing around, struggling to deal with the piston-like left.
A massive right hand from Dubois sent AJ staggering backwards with his hands still down from the opening bell.
Joshua paid the price for his mistake, as he came out with his hands down and got felled by an overhand right.
Round 2
Joshua – who only survived the knockout at the bell after falling to the ground – struggles to move forward as he is hit with blows to the face.
AJ is stumbling around the ring and his guard is dangerously low again and the pressure is mounting.
Joshua is trying to get back in the fight, but his jab looks very sluggish – it looks like he can’t recover from the knockdown.
Round 3
AJ comes out with more intent, but swings wildly with a right hand and only connects with thin air.
Dubois increased the pressure and backed Joshua into the corner and scored another knockdown.
The bell sounds but then Dubois lands the ball a time or two – once again AJ is saved by the clock as the writing looks to be on the wall.
Round 4
Accident happens again, Joshua falls to the ground once again – he loses his balance the moment he touches the canvas.
The referee gave AJ another chance and Dubois landed a soft blow – which gave the challenger some relief.
Dubois slowed down as round four ended, while Joshua showed great resilience to stay in the match.
Round 5
Joshua lands a powerful right hand and Dubois’ legs buckle – a surprise turnaround looks likely.
AJ presses Dubois to the ropes and attempts one of his signature uppercuts, but the counter right hand gets there first.
Joshua is caught straight on the chin, knocked down once again and this time out for good. Dubois scores a stunning KO win.
After the fight Davison said: “I was asking him for something.
“And he told me he was fine and was actually there talking.
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“And then he came back before the final round and said ‘these are the moments we live for’.
“He also talked about ‘throwing the dice,’ and that’s exactly what he did during that round.
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“People talk about when they’re having a bad day, and AJ had a bad night.
“But I would like to say that me and my team have received a lot of credit for their good performances, so it’s important that we take responsibility for the poor performances as well.”
‘Are you not entertained? I’m a gladiator’ – What Dubois and Joshua said after brutal fight
Daniel Dubois has shattered Anthony Joshua’s dreams of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion, writes Wally Downes Jr.
Joshua was stunned Four Dubois retained his IBF belt by scoring a stunning fifth-round knockout in front of a record 96,000 Wembley crowd and millions of TV viewers.
AJ, 34, never recovered after falling in the first round of last night’s Battle of Britain after a huge right hand from Dubois struck him on the chin.
Here is what he said after the fight:
Daniel DuBois
“Are you not entertained? I am a gladiator, a warrior who fights to the end. This is the biggest win of my career. I couldn’t let this opportunity go and now I want to go to the top level of this sport.
“I’ve been on a roller-coaster ride and it’s my time. I’m not stopping until I reach my full potential.”
Anthony Joshua
“No matter how angry I get, it is the way it is.
“I had a fast and quick opponent and I made a lot of mistakes. Credit goes to my opponent and his team.
“We rolled the dice and lost. You know I’m angry, but I’ll stay calm and respect my opponent.”
Frank Warren (DuBois’ promoter)
“It was a phenomenal fight, like Hagler vs. Hearns.
“It was a fantastic fight and everyone saw the performance of a champion tonight.
“Daniel has shown his courage, his skill.
“AJ caught him with a shot at the end and I was worried, but it was a great, amazing fight.”
Eddie Hearn (AJ’s promoter)
“AJ landed a big right hand in the first round and was fighting from the heart.
“He hurt Daniel at the end of the fourth and then again in the fifth but got greedy and went for the right hand and that was all he wrote.
“I’m sure Anthony will exercise the rematch clause.”
