Anthony Joshua explained why he was knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois during their heavyweight clash on Saturday, where Dubois retained his IBF heavyweight title.
The fight, held at Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 96,000, saw Dubois deliver a commanding performance.
The 27-year-old knocked Joshua down four times before landing a decisive right hand to the chin in the fifth round, ending the fight.
During the post-match press conference, Joshua reflected on his defeat, admitting that a series of mistakes cost him the bout.
“In the first round, I got caught with an overhand right, chin in the air, no defence—kaboom. From there, it was a bit of a downhill slope.
I tried to turn things around, but it just wasn’t my night,” Joshua said.Speaking about what went wrong in the fifth round, despite starting it strong, he explained:
“I caught him with a good shot and tried to press forward, but then I got hit with an overhand right while I was throwing an uppercut.
“The problem was, I wasn’t setting up my shots. In a shootout like that, you need to be more precise, more sniper-like. But after taking a few hits, it’s all about survival mode.”
