By: Sean Crose
If the performance by Oasis and the pyrotechnics weren’t enough to generate excitement on Saturday, the heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua promised to be a matter of intense interest. These were two of the biggest names in boxing’s biggest division, battling it out in their home country. Indeed, almost one hundred thousand people (you read that right) had packed into Wembley Stadium in London, England to watch the two men battle for the IBF heavyweight crown. No wonder a legendary band and all the bells and whistles high tech could offer served to warm up the crowd. Promoted by Saudi Arabian sports honcho, Turki Alalshikh, this was nothing if not a MAJOR. SPORTING. EVENT.
It all came down to the fight, though – a scheduled 12 rounder between two highly skilled, hard punching professionals ready to answer the question of who the better man was. Dubois landed hard almost immediately in the first. Joshua was able to jab well throughout the chapter, however. Then, as the round was coming down to a close, Joshua was sent to the mat. Joshua beat the count, but Dubois proceeded to bang away at the two-time champion through the second. Again, Joshua survived the round – but Dubois’ jab and power shots were proving to be potent.
Joshua jabbed well in the third – before being dropped again before the bell. Once again, he got up to beat the count. Joshua went down a third time in the first fifteen seconds of the fourth. After getting up, he went down again, thanks to a slip. No matter. The towering Englishman was being thrashed be his fellow countryman. The fight came to its thunderous conclusion in the fifth.
Joshua, to his credit, managed to rock Dubois in what proved to be the final round. Pursuing his man to the corner, however, the gritty Joshua was sent down and out courtesy of a crushingly short, accurate, and powerful Dubois’ right straight out of the Joe Louis playbook. The referee didn’t need to count – but count he did anyway. Suffice to say, Joshua was not able to get back to his feet in time. It had been a stunningly one-sided affair.
“Are you not entertained?” Dubois asked the crowd afterward, mimicking Russell Crowe’s famous line from the movie Gladiator. “I’m a gladiator. I’m a warrior, to the end, to the bitter end.” Having now bested Joshua and having arguably bested Oleksandr Usyk, Dubois is without doubt in the running for undisputed king of the heavyweight division. Having been largely marginalized in talk about the top heavyweights, Dubois is now clearly a part of the conversation…and a major part of it at that.