Joshua blames mistakes and poor defence for fifth-round knockout loss.
Anthony Joshua has opened up about his knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois during their highly anticipated heavyweight bout on Saturday, where Dubois retained his IBF heavyweight title. The fight, held at Wembley Stadium in front of 96,000 spectators, saw Dubois dominate, knocking Joshua down four times before delivering the final blow in the fifth round—a powerful right to the chin that ended the contest.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Joshua reflected on the errors that led to his downfall, admitting that his performance was below par from the opening round.
“The first round? Overhand right, chin in the air, no defence, kaboom,” Joshua said. “And it was a bit of a downhill slope from there. Tried to change the tides but it just wasn’t my night tonight.”
Joshua, who had moments of promise early in the fifth round, revealed that he lost focus during a key exchange. “I caught him with a good shot, I think, and then I tried to go for it. But I got caught with an overhand right when I was throwing the uppercut,” he explained.
He admitted that he was not setting up his punches strategically, which left him vulnerable. “Thing is, I wasn’t setting shots up. In a shootout like that, you really got to be a bit more sniper-esque.”
Joshua also acknowledged that after taking several hits, he was more focused on surviving than winning. “When you’ve been hit a few times, it’s survival. I’m in survival mode. I just wanted to get him out of there, and we had a shootout, and he hit me.”
Despite the disappointing loss, Joshua remains one of the biggest names in heavyweight boxing, and fans will be eager to see what his next move will be.
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