Anthony Joshua used one word to describe impact of Daniel Dubois punch

Daniel Dubois knocked Anthony Joshua retired successful the 5th circular astatine Wembley Stadium aft landing aggregate knockdowns connected the erstwhile heavyweight champion during the contest

Anthony Joshua could lone accidental 'kaboom' astir the interaction of Daniel Dubois' punch that near him connected the canvas successful the opening circular of their thrilling heavyweight clash astatine Wembley.

Despite being favoured to triumph the bout, AJ was fixed an unwelcome instauration to the combat connected Saturday night. The 34-year-old heavyweight was near struggling to retrieve aft a monstrous close manus from Dubois successful the opening minutes of the fight.

The Olympic metallic medalist had deed the canvas 3 times before helium was incapable to emergence to the referee's count aft being enactment down erstwhile again successful the 5th round. That saw Dubois clasp his IBF heavyweight world title.

While Joshua had fixed a less than benignant verdict connected Dubois' talents erstwhile successful his corner, the two-time heavyweight champion acknowledged however his hostile was capable to execute triumph pursuing the fight. The archetypal sound down proved pivotal successful what transpired.

"First round? Overhand right, chin successful the air. No defence," Joshua told BBC aft the fight. "Kaboom. And it was a spot of a downhill slope from there. Tried to alteration the tide but it conscionable wasn't my night.

"Yeah, and past I caught him with a bully changeable [in the 5th round], I think," helium added. "And past I tried to spell for it and I got caught with an overhand close erstwhile I was throwing the uppercut.

"Thing is, I wasn't mounting up my shots. In a shootout similar that, you truly person to beryllium a spot much sniper-esque. But erstwhile you've been deed a fewer times, it's endurance mode and I privation want to get him retired of determination and we had a shootout and helium deed me."

Joshua has nary volition of hanging up his gloves conscionable yet however. "Nah. We're gladiators, we had a atrocious nighttime astatine the office. Listen, helium radical privation to spot maine fight, I'll fight, that's it," helium said.

The seasoned combatant was capable to clasp his composure aft decision connected this occasion. Following his past defeat, successful his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk, helium launched a foul-mouth rant.

"We came up abbreviated arsenic a team," Joshua said successful the ring. "You cognize I'm acceptable to footwear disconnected successful the ringing but I'm going to support it respectful. Before I came here, I ever accidental to myself I'm a combatant for life. You support rolling the dice. I had a accelerated and crisp opponent, a batch of mistakes from my end.

He added: "We locomotion the locomotion travel retired with our caput held high. We're trying to make past for British boxing and deliberation we're doing that. Of people I privation to proceed fighting. We took a changeable and we came up short. What are we going to do, locomotion away? We're going to unrecorded different day."

Promoter Eddie Hearn inactive has large plans for Joshua moving forwards too. The Matchroom brag has already touted fights with Dubois and Tyson Fury contempt the loss.

"2025 is going to beryllium an absorbing twelvemonth for Anthony Joshua, 1 mode oregon the other, but helium volition decidedly beryllium back," said Hearn. "Whether it’s against Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury oregon whoever, you are going to beryllium entertained due to the fact that that was incredibly entertaining, albeit you don’t privation to spot your combatant get bushed similar that. Our interests are to marque definite helium leaves this athletics with bequest and a immense magnitude of money, but besides his wellness intact."