**Dubois Dominates with Explosive Start and Finish**
Before the main event, Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher fired up the energetic crowd with a musical performance, setting the stage for what would be a night to remember. And Dubois quickly lived up to the Rock ‘N’ Roll Star reputation.
Breaking tradition, despite being the reigning champion, Dubois was the first to enter the ring, greeted by a mix of boos as fireworks lit up Wembley’s famous arches. When Joshua made his entrance, a wave of camera lights illuminated the arena as he focused intently on the ring, accompanied by an entrance medley starting with *The Godfather* theme and ending with the iconic *War* from *Rocky IV*.
Out of the duo’s 49 combined victories, only four had gone the distance. The anticipated early drama came swiftly, with Dubois landing a crushing overhand right just before the end of the first round, sending Joshua to the canvas. Still dazed in the second round, Joshua struggled as Dubois relentlessly pursued him, making his powerful jab count.
Rumors of Dubois troubling Joshua in past sparring sessions seemed to haunt the 2012 Olympic gold medallist. In the third round, Dubois hammered a left hook that staggered Joshua, who briefly touched the ground with his glove – though it wasn’t called a knockdown. But Dubois didn’t ease up, sending Joshua down once again.
Joshua found himself on the mat twice more in the third round, though one fall was ruled a slip. The tension among onlookers, including heavyweight titans Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, who were ringside, grew as the fight unfolded unexpectedly.
The crowd's chants of “AJ, AJ” grew faint.
The fourth round was more competitive, but Joshua’s clean punch in the fifth only provoked Dubois further. In a moment destined to be remembered, Dubois unleashed a counter right-hand that sent Joshua crashing to the canvas for the final time.
Desperately scrambling, Joshua couldn’t make the count.
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**A New Era for the Heavyweight Division Begins**
Following one of British boxing’s most shocking upsets, Joshua’s future in the sport is under the microscope, though he hinted that he might not be done yet.
Joshua had been on a mission of redemption after losing twice to Usyk in 2022, aiming to cement his legacy alongside greats like Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, and Vitali Klitschko as a three-time champion. However, he faced a younger, hungrier fighter eager to make his mark.
“I had a fast, sharp opponent, and I made a lot of mistakes,” Joshua admitted afterward.
The long-anticipated super-fight with Fury seems further out of reach, even if Fury loses to Usyk in their rematch later this year.
In contrast, Dubois’ future shines bright.
“I want to reach the top of this sport and fulfill my potential,” Dubois stated.
His father, Stan, was a steady presence in his corner, just as he had been in previous fights against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic. Dubois, no stranger to high-stakes moments, embraced the grandeur of the night, standing tall four years after a painful loss to fellow Brit Joe Joyce, where he suffered a fractured eye socket and was controversially labeled a “quitter.”
But on this night, under the biggest spotlight of his career, Dubois thrived, signaling a new era in heavyweight boxing.
“I’ve been through ups and downs, but this is my time – my redemption story,” Dubois declared.
