Tale of the tape
Here’s a look at how Dubois and Joshua measure up ahead of tonight’s main event. The challenger has a one-inch advantage in height and a four-inch edge in reach. The difference in experience between the fighters would also seem to favor Joshua: this is his 13th world title fight and only Dubois’s second.
Key events
Eddie Hearn says that Joshua will exercise the rematch clause in his contract. Which means Dubois-Joshua II could be coming to a stadium near you. When Dubois is asked who he’d want to fight next, he’s to the point: “Maybe Usyk. A big shot at redemption. Anyone can get it.”
“The opponent,” is Joshua’s response when asked what went wrong. “Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice at success and we came up short.”
He adds: “You know I’m pissed. You know I’m ready to kick up in the ring, but I’m going to keep my cool and keep very professional and give the respect to my opponent.”
The interviewer then asks if we can expect to “see another rebuild” for Joshua – a polite way of asking if the 34-year–old plans to retire after tonight’s crushing knockout loss.
“Before I came here, I’m always saying to myself I’m a fighter for life,” Joshua says. “We rolled the dice at success and we came up short, [but] we’ll keep rolling the dice.”
He adds: “I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent. And secondly a lot of mistakes on my end. But that’s the game. As pissed off as I am, it is what it is.”
“Are you not entertained?” Dubois shouts to the crowd to start off his post-fight interview, a deft callback to the Gladiator theme from fight week. “Thank you very much, you know. It’s been a long journey. I’m grateful to be in this position.”
He adds: “I’m a gladiator, you know? I’m just a warrior to the bitter end. I’m just ready to go. I want to go to the top level of this game and reach my potential. God bless you all.”
He’s asked what’s been behind the turnaround in his performances, which included emphatic wins over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgović over the past year.
“Just behind the scenes, the work with my dad, all my family and my strong team. They’ve helped me get through this,” he says. “I’ve just been on a roller-coaster ride and this is my time. It’s my redemption story. I’m not going to stop until I reach my potential.”
Michael Buffer delivers the particulars. Daniel Dubois wins by knockout at 0:59 of the fifth round. The performance of a lifetime before a post-war-record crowd of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium.
Daniel Dubois wins by fifth-round knockout!
Joshua down in round five!
Round 5
Joshua can’t get out of the way of the punches. Yet almost from nowhere Joshua lands a huge uppercut! Dubois is hurt! A firefight breaks out … and in the midst of it Dubois cracks Joshua with a right hand on the chin that drops him to the canvas yet again! Joshua is on his side as McDonnell delivers the count … five, six, seven … he’s not going to make it! The referee has counted Joshua out and Daniel Dubois has won by fifth-round knockout!
Round 4
The referee takes a long look in Joshua’s corner before allowing him to continue. Dubois continues battering the Olympic champion from pillar to post. Joshua appears to go down again but the referee, who briefly looked as if he was waving it off, instead rules it a slip. Joshua on rubbery legs, a look of resignation on his face. Dubois a man possessed. A stunning performance.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Dubois 10-9 Joshua (Dubois 40-34 Joshua)
Joshua down in round three!
Round 3
Joshua’s defense has looked off from the start and he’s paid the price so far. He’s keeping his gloves low, allowing Dubois to come over the top almost at will. Dubois conects with a left hand with about 20 seconds left that rocks Joshua badly! Joshua’s glove touches the canvas, a knockdown, but McDonnell misses it and the Dubois continues beating Joshua badly along the ropes. It’s ruled a knockdown after the fact. Joshua saved by the bell again and in serious trouble.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Dubois 10-8 Joshua (Dubois 30-25 Joshua)
Round 2
Dubois is keeping the pressure on and Joshua is in big trouble with lots of time to go in the second! Dubois is all over Joshua, who is holding on for dear life. Joshua is reeling and Dubois can’t seem to miss with the jab. Dubois bullying Joshua in the clinches. Joshua is able to get his feet under him a bit as Dubois slows down slightly. Joshua lands a right hook. Easy round for Dubois, who’s has been a menace for six blistering minutes.
Guardian’s unofficial score: Dubois 10-9 Joshua (Dubois 20-17 Joshua)
Joshua down in round one!
Round 1
And we’re off. Joshua in all white trunks, Dubois in black. Dubois is almost immediately on the front foot, taking the center of the ring and boxing behind an active jab. And Dubois connects with a hard combination that wobbles Joshua. Joshua wraps up Dubois and the referee warns Dubois … for leading with the head. Dubois warned a second time. Quite harsh. Joshua lands a crisp uppercut. And Dubois lands a massive overhand right hand near the end of the round and Joshua goes down in a heap! Unbelievable! Joshua makes it to his feet but he’s saved by the bell!
Guardian’s unofficial score: Dubois 10-8 Joshua (Dubois 10-8 Joshua)
The fighters have been announced by ring announcer Michael Buffer. The final instructions have been given by referee Marcus McDonnell, the seconds are out and we’ll pick it up with round-by-round coverage from here!
God Save the King time. Sounds like each of the 96,000 paid ticketholders are joining in. It’s really nice!
Both fighters are in the ring. Now it’s time for the national anthem of Saudi Arabia. Naturally.
The fighters are making their ringwalks! First it’s Dubois, who is making the long walk to the squared circle wearing a simple black tunic with monogram on the chest to 50 Cent’s In da Club. He looks loose and confident as approaches the ring and climbs through the ropes while fireworks go off from the roof of the stadium.
Now it’s Joshua, who emerges wearing a traditional white robe with black trim and black sequins on the shoulders as Jay-Z’s Public Service Announcement blasts from the stadium sound system at an ear-splitting volume. The man looks focused as he moves down the long illuminated catwalk leading to the ring. Absolute scenes.
A crowd of 96,000 singing Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline in full throat. Your mileage may vary on what’s become a sacred ritual of the British fight night experience, but there’s no denying the intensity of the spectacle at this scale.
Liam Gallagher closes his set with Cigarettes & Alcohol and the fighter entrances should be next. Say what you want about the infusion of Saudi money into boxing, but no one can dispute the production values.
Tale of the tape
Here’s a look at how Dubois and Joshua measure up ahead of tonight’s main event. The challenger has a one-inch advantage in height and a four-inch edge in reach. The difference in experience between the fighters would also seem to favor Joshua: this is his 13th world title fight and only Dubois’s second.
Liam Gallagher’s pre-fight performance on a stage at the center of the pitch is under way. He’s opened with Rock ’n’ Roll Star before going into Supersonic. A bit of advance scouting for Oasis’ dates here in 10 months’ time?
The stars are out for tonight’s big fight. Meanwhile, Liam Gallagher has just emerged from the tunnel at Wembley for a pre-fight performance.
Our Donald McRae was at Friday’s weigh-in at Trafalgar Square, where Dubois and Joshua faced off one last time.
I’m just ready to fight,” Anthony Joshua said earlier this month as he looked ahead to his bout against Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night. Dubois sat opposite Joshua at a table in a television studio and, replicating the often manufactured drama which pre-fight shows are meant to generate, he looked coolly at his more famous opponent and said: “Let’s go.”
His promoter Frank Warren, sitting alongside Dubois, smiled and added a little caveat to dilute the sudden intensity: “But let’s wait until the 21st.” Dubois, for once, ignored Warren and continued: “If he wants to swing, let’s go now.”
“Shaddup,” Joshua snapped. “Relax.” Dubois looked relaxed enough but he was not willing to drop his provocative invitation. “If you want to go now,” he said, staring at Joshua, “let’s go.”
Joshua, who is usually criticised for being too sanitised and almost corporate in his public appearances, reacted with unusual force and profanity. “I’ll put this fucking chair across your face,” he warned Dubois. “Don’t disrespect me.”
“You can’t intimidate me,” Dubois replied. “Who do you think you are?”
Preamble
Hello and welcome to Wembley Stadium for tonight’s all-British heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua. A post-war-record crowd of about 96,000 is expected for this highly anticipated scrap for the IBF’s version of the heavyweight championship which until recently was owned by Oleksandr Usyk, who unified the long-fractured title in boxing’s prestige division by defeating Tyson Fury in May. Owing to the sport’s broken mandatory challenger system, the title was vacated by Usyk and essentially emailed to Dubois, who will defend it tonight against Joshua, who’s already lost to Usyk twice.
If you’re confused you’re not alone. But all alphabet soup shenanigans aside, we’ve got a heck of a scrap in the offing and lots to look forward to.
Joshua, who came in at 252.5lbs at Friday’s weigh-in at Trafalgar Square and is back in a title fight for the first time since his second loss to Usyk back in August 2022, called himself a “gladiator” preparing to enter battle.
“If I can ask you one favor, go home tonight and make a prayer for me, for success tomorrow, that I will become three-time heavyweight champion of the world,” Joshua told the crowd. “I look at myself as a gladiator, and I’m about to step into an arena tomorrow to perform for the people who love to see blood, guts and glory.”
Dubois, who came in at a career-high 248.6lbs, was equally confident despite the occupying the underdog role.
“It’s time to get into the ring and fight,” he said. “Let’s go. I’ve been working hard. A lot of work and training has gone into this and I’m ready to go. A win, by any means necessary.”
The final undercard bout is in the books after Hamzah Sheeraz’s two-round destruction of Tyler Denny for the European middleweight championship in a bad mismatch. Next up: Dubois v Joshua.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Donald McRae’s lookahead to tonight’s main event.
