For those that never saw the fight last night here is the link
Last night Anthony Joshua fought Daniel Dubois at a packed Wembley Stadium for the IBF Heavy Weight Belt after he had lost his belts previously to the Ukrainian heavyweight Uysk. AJ was the fan favorite and this was not the expected result, but it has to be seen as good for boxing if he leaves the sport.
This was a one sided affair in which we saw AJ hit the canvas 4 times before the final knock out in the 5th round. Honestly the fight could have been stopped in the 3rd round as Dubois outclassed AJ from the opening bell. The other factor was fitness because AJ looked out on his feet from the 2nd round onwards and could not maintain Dubois pace. Saying this was a bad defeat would be kind as it was more of a humiliation,
At the start of the 5th round AJ landed 1 heavy right and two lefts which had the Wembley crowd excited before Dubos caught AJ with a right knocking him out. AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn from Matchroom Sports looked like he had seen a ghost as this was not part of the script.
We often complain that fighters are protected by their promoters and it looks like AJ's career has been built on just this. He looks all big and powerful, but we all know this guy has a glass chin and cannot take a punch. This has never been a good sign for any fighter as once the word is out you cannot take a punch your career is over. This is not something you can train for either unless you can avoid getting hit.
AJ's purse last night was worth an estimated £30 million which would see his career purse pass the £200 million mark. Not bad for someone with a glass jaw, but surely his career is over now. He does not need the money. The scary part is he was the undisputed heavyweight champion on two separate occasions and has to be seen as the fakest champion ever.
Daniel Dubois had lost previously to Uysk last year and that is surely the next fight after last nights result. AJ was the bookies favorite with a $500 bet earning you only $100. I just do not see a route back for AJ from here as he is damaged goods.
Heavyweight boxing has been a farce for years with no real champion compared to what we saw in the 1980's and 1990's. The promoters have ruined this division due to protecting their fighters selecting fights they think their fighters can win avoiding the top ranked challengers. This sport seems to be more about showmanship than real talent and last night the chickens came home to roost highlighting just how bad a fighter AJ really is. It makes you wonder how he has been able to make a career out of this sport and there are many other boxers like him.