Dubois vs Joshua: Everything You Need to Know

On the 21st of September, 2024, under the guidance of Frank Warren and his team at Queensberry Promotions, Daniel Dubois clashed against fellow Britain’s heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua.

With the winner set to claim not only the IBF World Heavyweight title but also cement their status as one of the most feared heavyweights in modern boxing history, the stakes were incredibly high.

The heightened anticipation made the clash between the two heavyweights that much more thrilling, and it showed. The event saw a record 96,000 spectators in attendance, beating the previously set record of 94,000 that Queensberry and Tyson Fury achieved in his fight against Dillian Whyte two years prior. Here are details of the Dubois vs Joshua fight from start to finish.

Background

Daniel Dubois is one of the youngsters in the heavyweight division, being just 27 years old at the time of the bout. Up until his fight against AJ, in the space of around 7 years as a heavyweight professional, “Dynamite” had 23 fights against some of the division’s best, including:

Oleksandr Usyk
Filip Hrgovic
Joe Joyce
Jarrell Miller

From these 23 fights, he won 21. What’s worth paying attention to is that out of the 21 fights, Dubois finished 20 of his opponents by KO, giving the young Brit a KO rate of over 95% and the nickname, “Dynamite.”

On the other hand, Anthony Joshua was the older and more experienced fighter. At the age of 34 years and 11 months, AJ had accumulated 31 fights under his belt against some of the division’s greatest, including:

Wladimir Klitschko
Oleksandr Usyk
Kubrat Pulev
Andy Ruiz
Joseph Parker
Dillian Whyte

Over the course of his more than a decade-long professional career, Joshua won 28 of his fights, 25 of which were by knockout. And although AJ’s KO rate was lower than Daniel’s, both fighters had the ability to knock out an opponent with a single punch, making the fight between the two that much more unpredictable.

Fight Announcement

After the IBF Heavyweight title was vacated by Dubois’ former opponent, the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, on the 26th of June, 2024, “Dynamite” was elevated from an IBF interim heavyweight champion to the full IBF champion.

After four victories in a row, AJ was given a shot at the title and was announced as the main contender for the IBF Heavyweight title. The bout between the two was set to take place less than three months later, on September 21st, 2024 at Wembley Stadium in London.

Build-Up

In the build-up to the fight, tensions ran high as both fighters exchanged words in press conferences and interviews, which further fuelled the anticipation among boxing fans.

While Dubois was eager to prove himself worthy by defeating the nation’s favourite, AJ was determined to reclaim championship glory and re-establish himself as a dominant force in the division once again.

The whole ordeal in the build-up to this championship matchup saw the sale of more than 96,000 live tickets at Wembley Stadium - a new record attendance that was previously held by Tyson Fury’s bout vs. Dillian Whyte in 2022.

Fight Night Details

The matchup between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua was scheduled for the 21st of September, 2024 at the iconic Wembley Stadium. A day before the bout, the two heavyweights were weighed in front of Nelson’s Column at Trafalgar Square in London. Joshua weighed 252.5 lbs while Dubois came in at 248.6 lbs.

The Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois fight was expected to break records, and it did, hosting over 96,000 live spectators, which created one of the most electric atmospheres that Wembley Stadium has ever seen.

The main event was refereed by Marcus McDonnell and the three judges were Howard Foster, Steve Gray, and Bob Williams. After five dominating rounds from Frank Warren’s Daniel Dubois, he came out victorious after knocking out Anthony Joshua.

Main Event Analysis & Statistics

Round number one started off strong, with both fighters throwing jabs to get a feel for each other’s timing and range. AJ showcased his usual composure while relying on his technical ability and speed to keep Dubois at bay. “Dynamite” had a different plan and kept pressing forward in the hopes of establishing dominance early on in the fight.

Seconds before the bell in round number one, Dubois threw a huge right hand that connected with Joshua’s chin. It brought him to the ground and scored an important knockdown in the eyes of the three judges who scored the round 10-8 in favour of the young Brit.

In round number two, AJ appeared refreshed and immediately went after Dubois, landing a good left hook. It didn’t seem to phase Dubois who started to press Joshua even more, landing a number of great punches throughout the round. After dominating the round, the judges scored the effort 10-9 in favour of Dubois.

Coming in with a lot of momentum, round number three was even more impressive for Dubois as Joshua struggled to come up with an answer. In the final seconds of round number three, Dubois connected with Joshua’s chin once more, sending Britain’s favourite fighter back wobbling on his feet until he fell to the ground. Seconds later, the bell signalled the end of the round, saving Joshua once more.

In the first couple of seconds of round number four, Dubois jabbed Joshua, which was followed by a left hook. Seemingly, it was enough to send Joshua down to the canvas, knocking him down for the third time. Joshua went to the ground once more in round four, but it was ruled a slip.

Round number five seemed to be Joshua’s round as he landed a powerful straight that rocked Dubois. However, as Joshua was coming in close to capitalise on the opportunity and land an uppercut, he was caught on the chin with a counter right hand. This time, it sent Joshua to the canvas for good as he was unable to beat the count.

By the end of the fight, the judge’s scorecard was 40 - 33 in favour of Dubois, who was leading a confident fight throughout. Between the two fighters, Dubois was also the one with the most landed punches, 79 to Joshua’s 32. Dubois was also the more accurate puncher, landing 40.3% of his punches vs Joshua’s 27.4%.

Fight Outcome

Although AJ performed well, clipping “Dynamite” a couple of times throughout the five rounds, it was obvious from the beginning that Daniel Dubois was the better fighter despite entering the bout as the underdog (according to the press and the bookmakers).

Dubois started off strong and maintained his dominance throughout the fight by using his power and precision to dictate the pace. And we saw that not just by the brutal knockout that AJ suffered in round five, but also by the judge’s scorecards, which were all in favour of Daniel Dubois.

Post-Fight Reactions

Anthony Joshua’s KO loss to the younger Daniel Dubois was considered a major upset in the boxing world. “Dynamite” not only entered the fight as the younger and less experienced fighter but also the underdog.

Following Dubois’ win over AJ, boxing fans had nothing but respect for the young Brit and what he had done. At the same time, many were speculating whether AJ still had it in him to compete at the highest level and potentially have a shot at fighting the most celebrated heavyweights in boxing that he’s yet to face.

In the immediate post-fight interview, AJ thanked the fans for attending and showed nothing but respect for Dubois while confidently stating he would attempt to trigger a rematch, which would naturally lead to more events featuring the two heavyweights.

frequently ask question

Who Won the Dubois vs. Joshua Fight?

Daniel Dubois was dominating the fight against Anthony Joshua from the beginning and that didn’t go unnoticed. All three judges scored each of the first four rounds in favour of “Dynamite".

However, that’s not how Dubois won. After being rocked by AJ and catching everyone by surprise, AJ tried to capitalise on the opportunity but was caught with a devastating punch that brought AJ down to the canvas and sealed the win for Daniel Dubois.

Is There a Rematch Between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois?

Daniel Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren has dismissed the possibility of a potential rematch between AJ and Triple D. However, the future for the young Daniel Dubois is bright and Anthony Joshua’s career is far from over. So, the boxing world may see the paths of these two boxers cross again at some point in the future.

How Many Times Did Dubois Knock Down Joshua?

Daniel Dubois knocked down Anthony Joshua four times throughout the fight, once in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th rounds. His dominance in each round and the numerous knockdowns that took place in almost every round heavily influenced the judge’s scorecards.

Queensberry Dubois vs Joshua