Anthony Joshua suffered a shocking knockout loss to much lesser known British rival Daniel Dubois on that special night at Wembley Stadium. It was a crushing defeat for Joshua, who was knocked down in the first round and then completely overpowered, falling to the canvas multiple times. The brutal ending was finally sealed in the fifth round when Dubois landed two powerful right punches to decisively stop Joshua, just as Joshua looked to turn the tide of his one-sided striking.
Dubois was nominally the IBF heavyweight champion of the world, but made it clear he intended to be a supporting actor on the Joshua show in front of 96,000 fans when he strode to the ring first. Though Dubois had never experienced such heat before, he looked calm and determined as he scaled the ropes, but it took a long time for his more famous rival to join him.
Joshua's entrances have always been bombastic, evoking memories of nights long ago when Mike Tyson would stride to the ring alone, shirtless and in black trunks, menacing yet silent, and Dubois would soon replicate the viciousness and striking power that once embodied Tyson.
Joshua, at least, looked focused, but the laborious prelude dragged on through the national anthem and ceremonial introductions, Dubois was booed, Joshua was cheered wildly, and finally, with both men left in the ring, an incredible fight was about to begin.
Dubois came out aggressively early, putting Joshua on the defensive. Covering Joshua, Dubois looked confident and motivated. Dubois was warned for using his head too much, but it was his fists that were the most dangerous. A powerful overhand right ripped through Joshua and knocked him down hard near the end of the first round.
The course of the fight changed in that shocking moment when Joshua looked extremely dazed despite being saved by the bell.
Joshua was shaken by Dubois's intense pressure early in the second round. A look of worry and sickness crossed Joshua's face as he was hurt again by powerful rights and lefts. Dubois soon caught Joshua again, eliciting anxious murmurs from the stunned crowd.
Coming into the third attack, Joshua tried to change the pattern with his jab, and his supporters tried to galvanise him after a shaky opening, but Dubois landed another hard left punch that sent Joshua reeling and stumbling against the ropes, once again being saved by the bell.
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A sharp left punch sent Joshua tumbling to the canvas and then down again early in the fourth round, and the referee looked ready to end the bout, even as Joshua pounded his chest in sad, lonely defiance.
They were allowed to continue and the slow, relentless beating continued, with Joshua receiving further punishment.
The decisive rounds showed the former champion's courage: Joshua fought back briefly, landing a powerful right punch that shook the younger Dubois and hurt him for the first time, but Dubois countered his desperate attacks with cool force, landing successive powerful right punches that sent Joshua crumpling to the canvas.
The despair of Joshua and his supporters was drowned out by the jubilation of Dubois, who with this stunning victory defended the IBF title awarded to him three months ago and can finally claim to be a world champion in the ring. The true king of the division remains Oleksandr Usyk, who became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion of the 21st century four months ago when he won the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO belts in a thrilling battle with Tyson Fury.
But in a typically shameless move in boxing, the IBF quickly stripped Usyk of his title because he had already signed a contract to rematch Fury in December and couldn't fight a mandatory challenger first, and instead gifted it to Dubois, who Usyk beat last August, setting up a first defence against Joshua.
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But while Dubois deserves to bask in the joy of his stunning victory, the 34-year-old Joshua will be devastated, his celebrated but flawed career now drawing to a close after being brutally beaten by a hungry fighter seven years his junior.
In boxing terms, Wembley once belonged to Joshua, but it is a tough, unforgiving job. Dubois was too strong, too fresh, too powerful to be a defeated, fallen champion.
