Anthony Joshua has opened up about the factors that led to his knockout loss in the fifth round to Daniel Dubois during their much-anticipated heavyweight clash on Saturday.
The fight, held in front of a massive crowd of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium, saw Dubois retain his IBF heavyweight title with a dominant performance.
Dubois, 27, put on a relentless display, flooring Joshua four times before landing the decisive blow—a crushing right hand to the chin that ended the bout in the fifth round.
Reflecting on the defeat in his post-match press conference, Joshua acknowledged the series of mistakes that cost him the fight.
He said: “The first round? Overhand right, chin in the air, no defence kaboom.
“And it was a bit of a downhill slope from there. Tried to change the tides but it just weren’t my night tonight.”
On what went wrong with him in the fifth round despite starting it strongly Joshua said:
“I caught him with a good shot I think and then I tried to go for it, and then I got caught with an overhead right, when I was throwing the uppercut.
“Thing is, I wasn’t setting shots up. In a shootout like that you really got to be a bit more sniper-esque.
“But when you’ve been hit a few times, it’s survival, I’m in survival mode.
“I just want to get him out of there and we had a shoot out and he hit me.”
Joshua also praised Dubois’ performance, acknowledging the younger fighter’s power and determination in the ring.
“He came in with a solid plan and executed it well. His right hand was on point, and once I got caught, there was no coming back from that.”
This loss marks another setback for Joshua, who has been working to regain his dominant form in the heavyweight division. Despite the outcome, Joshua remains optimistic, stating, “I’ll go back to the drawing board, assess what went wrong, and come back stronger. This is not the end for me.”
With this victory, Dubois further solidifies his position as a force in the heavyweight division, while Joshua looks to rebuild and plan his next move.