Was the Joshua vs Dubois fight staged?
Anthony Joshua was stopped in a brutal fashion by Daniel Dubois, but now, some in the boxing community have started asking questions about the validity of the fight.
Boxing pundit Bamidele Bakare raised his doubts about Joshua's performance, suggesting the fight may have been "staged".
Dubois was the strongest fighter in the ring, dominating the fight consistently. The 27-year-old fighter knocked Joshua down four times before a brutal K.O. punch in the fifth round, sending him down for good.
Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!
Dubois's strong performance leaves no doubt that he is the deserved champion. The IBF heavyweight titleholder defended his belt with a one-sided demolition of Joshua.
"Are you not entertained?", Dubois asked about the sold-out Wembley Stadium in London. The fight was very one-sided, contrary to all the pre-fight predictions.
The 27-year-old keeps his clean 22-2-0 ring record, making him a formidable heavy-weight opponent. Dubois entered the ring with a clear objective in mind: the knockout.
Joshua was knocked down after taking a powerful right hand to the face, where he received a standing eight count from the referee.
Boxing pundit, Bamidele Bakare criticized Joshua's technique, questioning whether the fight was fixed. AJ's defense was poor, and his overall performance seemed weak when compared to his usual self.
"It seemed like a fixed match, and Dubois didn't get the memo, so he boxed properly. AJ had a poor defense and no attack; he backed off throughout, grappled, etc," shared the boxing pundit in an analysis.
Bakare further criticized Joshua's half-guard and his inability to turn the tides throughout the fight. He further criticized Joshua for walking into Dubois' punches, according to the Kenyan publication Tuko.
The fight was taking in many bets, much like UFC fighter Israel Adesanya, who placed $10,000 on 'AJ' winning the fight between the 10th and 12th rounds, according to the fighter's social media.
Joshua's loss puts him in a tricky situation in the later stages of his career, as critics and pundits suggest the fight looked suspicious. An uncertain future for 'AJ', who takes on another major defeat.
Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!