Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois; Fall Of a Titan

It was impossible for me not a feel a sizeable amount of sadness watching 3-1 underdog Daniel Dubois easily dismantle the heavily favoured, former two-time world number one, Anthony Joshua inside five one-sided rounds at Wembley Stadium yesterday evening.

I’d seen this scenario play out too many times before. The older man getting usurped by the new up and comer in brutal fashion. Yet it is always more than a little surreal seeing someone you are used to watching easily violently dispatch opponent after opponent suddenly handed huge dollops of their own medicine.

Joshua’s name got added to a storied list of boxing greats who endured traumatic defeats near the end of their careers. Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Joe Louis and Jack Johnson are perhaps the most high-profile heavyweight examples but there are many, many others.

In recent history only Lennox Lewis got out at the right time, having heeded a significant warning from Ukrainian tough man Vitali Klitschko, who gave him a real scare in his last fight. His example is an extraordinarily rare one, that so few others have been able to follow.

Few pundits had foreseen a Dubois victory going in to yesterday’s all British clash. None that I knew of had predicted a one-sided win. Yet that is what it was. Joshua was simply never in the fight against the seven-year younger Dubois.

Right from the start Dubois’ superior jab had Joshua bothered, his legs tightening noticeably every time it flickered through his loose guard. A big looping right hand near the end of the round proved to be both unorthodox and very effective as it floored Joshua heavily.

The Watford man was saved by the bell and showed tremendous bravery to press on but Dubois always seemed a step ahead, his style seemingly all wrong for the former champion. He had Joshua in trouble and down again in the third and fourth, with Joshua struggling hard to get his legs under him.

The end came ironically after a brief but noteworthy moment of Joshua success. Joshua had Dubois hurt with a flush right hand in the fifth. Another straight right got through a moment later and Dubois showed signs of being stunned, instinctively covering up. Joshua smelled blood and charged in. For an amazing moment it looked like Joshua might just be on the verge of one of the most remarkable comebacks in heavyweight history.

Joshua had Dubios backed into a corner. After a barrage of punches Dubois countered with a hard right which landed flush, enabled by Joshua’s low left hand which dangled by his waist.

This should have been a big warning but Joshua was already battling the effects of Dubois’ earlier successes and was likely fighting on pure instinct by this point. He shrugged off that right and carried on his attack with that left hand still dangling. An ambitious uppercut never landed as Dubois launched another harder right hand over the top of Joshua’s low left.

This one landed completely flush and sent Joshua to the canvas face first. In another remarkable show of heart, Joshua attempted to climb back up but his legs disobeyed him and he was counted out for the first time in his career.

Dubois moves to 22-2 (21 KOs) with the win, undoubtedly his career best over a fine champion. Dubois retained the IBF belt, rendered meaningless by Oleksandr Usyk retaining the remaining belts and official world number one status. He will eagerly await the winner of Usyk-Fury 2 and whoever he faces will know they are in for a very tough night.

For Joshua the path is less clear. He fell to 28-4 (25 KOs) with the loss, his second inside the distance. At 34 he stated post-fight that he was determined to continue on. His promoter Eddie Hearn echoed these sentiments and stated that his main priority is to see Joshua “happy.”

Happiness comes in many forms. It is arguable that it is perhaps least likely to be found pursuing an impossible dream. Joshua will never be in his mid to late twenties again. He is a battle-scared 34-year-old who has been shown, both in this fight and against Usyk, that he is no longer good enough to become the best in the division.

Joshua could come back and win more big fights, have some more huge paydays and perhaps even challenge for titles again. But he doesn’t have any serious chance of reclaiming his number one status, those days have passed.

Surely his better bet for long-term happiness would be to take stock of his wonderful career, fully take in everything he has achieved, count his significant wealth and retire as a healthy man.

Continuing at this point, trying to chase old dreams, seems futile and damaging both to his legacy and future health. Certainly, many will try and persuade him to continue and if that is his wish so be it but like so many fighters before him, he could turn out to be his own worst enemy.

“You know presidents retire, generals retire, horses retire, men of war retire. They put them out to stud. That’s what you should do… retire.”