‘Young pretender Dubois legitimises world title reign’

Daniel Dubois was the heavyweight champion lacking a crowning moment, but on Saturday the young pretender from Greenwich legitimised his reign.

Youth, fearlessness and raw determination prevailed as Dubois destroyed the elder statesman, Anthony Joshua, in five rounds with 96,000 fans bearing witness to the passing of a torch.

When Dubois told us he was the “king slayer” only a handful listened, let alone believed him.

Now, those who labelled him a “paper champion” for being upgraded from interim to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF belt have been hushed.

In a marquee event during which musician Liam Gallagher belted out three Oasis classics, Joshua’s masterplan to become a three-time champion ended in disappointment.

The shock result leaves his distinguished career at a crossroads – or maybe hurtling into the stop sign.

BBC Sport reflects on Dubois’ career-defining moment and what the outcome means for Joshua and the heavyweight division.

‘I was Daniel in the lion’s den’

Dubois, 27, becomes a top dog in the glamour division, but ‘Dynamite’ is not a flash in the pan and has long been prophesied for heavyweight stardom.

His father Stan instructed him to do hours of press-ups from the age of five, introduced him to pugilism aged eight and encouraged him to turn professional after a few senior bouts.

As a teenager, Dubois reportedly rocked Joshua in sparring and caught the attention of Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren.

“I always believed in him,” an “extremely proud” Warren said in the post-fight news conference.

Dubois was widely written off by pundits, fans and his peers after defeats by Joe Joyce and Usyk. There have been changes of trainers, rebuilds and even unjust calls for retirement while still in his mid-20s.

Then there are those who mocked the reserved champion’s trash talk – or rather lack of – and suggested he would crumble under the pressure of a Wembley crowd.

All week he played second fiddle to Joshua, but the silent assassin refused to be intimidated when it mattered, not taking a single backward step and dropping AJ four times.

Jeered heading into the ring but cheered as he left, Dubois told reporters: “I was Daniel in the lion’s den. I was unstoppable. I wasn’t going to be denied.”

What next for Joshua and Dubois?

Boxing waited 25 years for an undisputed heavyweight champion before Usyk outpointed Tyson Fury in May.

Casual followers no longer needed an explainer on why there were multiple world champions, a lack of one single ranking system or the inner workings of four main governing bodies.

Dubois’ win sets up a potential bout against the winner of the Fury-Usyk rematch, where a win could complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the sport’s history and another undisputed champion.

A fresh-faced Joshua, with no miles on the clock, stopped the overmatched Charles Martin to win his first world title eight years ago. Here, he presented a very different man and fighter.

Joshua admirably spoke to the press afterwards to say “of course I want to fight again”, but for the first time since facing Usyk he faced a live, dangerous opponent and came unstuck.

Maybe we were lured into a false sense by this supposed second coming of Joshua – opponents James Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou were far from world-beaters.

Or maybe Father Time has just slowly caught up. During Joshua’s purple patch he seemed unstoppable. As even the most accomplished of boxers eventually find out, purple patches are not endless.

For as long as he is active, Joshua will remain a huge draw. The magnitude and crossover appeal of a potential AJ-Fury contest, which promoter Eddie Hearn says could still happen, has greatly diminished.