Well, what should we talk about? On Saturday, London-born power-puncher and IBF heavyweight champ Daniel Dubois kicked open the door to superstardom with a pulverising fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium.
Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) went on the attack from the opening bell, decking Joshua in rounds one, three and four before knocking him out cold with a ridiculously short right to the chin in the fifth. The shockwaves reverberated through the 98,000-strong crowd for several minutes after the bout had concluded as fans tried to process what they’d witnessed.
Needless to say, there’s been a major shakeup in the heavyweight ratings. Joshua and Dubois were rated No. 3 and No. 7, respectively, coming in and will swap places following this seismic upset.
Heavyweight rankings: The Sporting News’ top 12
The best in the world at heavyweight: Oleksandr Usyk
As Ukrainian wizard Oleksandr Usyk was cutting a swathe through the cruiserweight division, the undisputed champ was tipped to achieve big things at heavyweight. He didn’t disappoint, scoring two memorable points triumphs over Anthony Joshua.
Due in part to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Usyk has suffered periods of inactivity. The 37-year-old technician returned to action last August and battered Daniel Dubois to a ninth-round stoppage defeat — a victory that has aged spectacularly well in a relatively short period — before targeting undisputed glory.
Usyk’s triumph over Tyson Fury is arguably the finest performance of his Hall of Fame career. Sublimely skilled, but with the courage of a soldier, Usyk is now firmly established as an all-time great in the sport.
The Sporting News’ Boxing Ratings
Men’s P4P | Women’s P4P | Men’s Heavyweight | Men’s YouTube P4P | Women’s YouTube P4P
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