Anthony Joshua is likely to call for a rematch against Daniel Dubois, having conceded he "came up short" after he "rolled the dice" in Saturday's bout at Wembley Stadium.

In front of a record-breaking, 96,000 crowd that had been further geed up by a performance from Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, it was Dubois who turned in a supersonic display on Saturday.

Joshua saw his hopes of clinching the IBF heavyweight title slide away as Dubois dominated from the off, before delivering the knockout blow in round five.

Some pundits suggested this should be the end for Joshua, though the 34-year-old insisted he is not planning on stopping any time soon.

"Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short," he told DAZN.

"You know I'm ready to kick off in the ring, but I'm going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.

"I'm always saying to myself I'm a fighter for life... We keep rolling the dice.

"I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that's the game."

Promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, claimed Joshua would likely take up the option of a rematch.

"I'm sure he'll exercise that rematch clause, it's a given, it's a dangerous fight because he's growing in confidence all the time but he'll believe he can beat him," Hearn told DAZN.

Dubois, though, will likely want to turn his attention to facing the victor out of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, with their rematch set to take place in December in Saudi Arabia.

Daniel Dubois does not want his "redemption story" to stop after dominating Anthony Joshua to reclaim his IBF heavyweight title.

Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF belt, labelling it as a present for the fight between Joshua and Dubois, the latter taking the title by default.

Dubois left no doubts over the merit of his belt on Saturday, though, delivering a brutal fifth-round knockout blow to Joshua in front of a record-breaking crowd for the all-British clash at Wembley Stadium.

Speaking on DAZN after an impressive triumph, Dubois addressed the record-breaking crowd: "I've only got a few things to say, are you not entertained?!

"It's been a journey and I'm grateful to be in this position. I'm a gladiator, I'm a warrior until the bitter end. I want to get to the top of this sport and reach my full potential.

"Behind the scenes, the work with my dad. I've been on a rollercoaster run, this is my time, this is my redemption story. I'm not going to stop until I reach my full potential."

Tyson Fury and Usyk are set for a Riyadh rematch in December, though Dubois will be waiting in the wings for a shot at the heavyweight pair.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn immediately suggested his fighter will seek to activate a rematch clause with Dubois, however.

Whether Joshua can recover from this defeat remains to be seen, having been sent spiralling to the canvas multiple times, including in the opening round.

Joshua appeared to have found a way back into the bout in the fifth, only for Dubois to land a crucial right-hand finisher, much to his understandable delight.

"I am the man," he added to Sky Sports. "A mix of emotions. I can't say too much right now. I'm fighting to get all the glory. To me, I'm the hunter and I need to hunt."

As for his next fight, Dubois is dreaming big, adding: "All of the best, maybe Usyk [for] a big shot at my redemption. Anyone can get it."

Frank Warren echoed Dubois' sentiment, with the Queensbury promoter eyeing another shot at Usyk for Dubois, who lost to the Ukrainian in August last year.

"It was a phenomenal fight and I always felt it would be a [Marvin] Hagler versus [Thomas] Hearns situation," Warren told DAZN. "AJ showed his heart right until the end. It was a brilliant fight.

"I always felt Dubois would do it and he has. It's not a turnaround, it was there. He was a young man and had double fractures in his eyes, he couldn't fight. He hurt him [Usyk], I'd like to see him fight him now but he has to fight Tyson now.

"Everyone here has seen a champion's performance. He's done everything you could ask for. AJ caught him with a shot over there and I was worried. He's a young man and on top of his game, he can improve."

WBO interim heavyweight champion Joseph Parker also put his name into the hat to face Dubois, with Fury and Usyk not set to meet until later this year, which would keep any challenger waiting.

"If he [Dubois] wants to get it on then let's go," Parker said on DAZN immediately after the result.

Daniel Dubois claimed an eye-catching victory over Anthony Joshua with a fifth-round knockout in an all-British clash for the IBF heavyweight title.

Joshua was tipped as the pre-fight favourite, aiming to become a three-time heavyweight champion in front of a record-breaking 96,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Yet Dubois came out on the top, dominating from the off before catching Joshua with a brutal right-hand blow.

His reward will likely prove to be a clash with Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk, who face off in their December rematch in Riyadh.

With Fury and Usyk watching on, Dubois came flying out the blocks, landing back-to-back jabs before downing Joshua in the first round with a bruising overhand right.

Challenger Joshua survived the count and was saved by the bell, before a further onslaught followed by Dubois resulted in a similar conclusion in the third just as the round ended.

Dubois floored Joshua once more just seconds into the fourth, with brief confusion as the referee waved for a knockdown rather than knockout as the one-sided bout continued.

Joshua appeared to have recovered, landing a few shots in the fifth before overcommitting as Dubois delivered the decisive blow to settle any talk over his IBF title, which was initially handed over by Usyk.

Anthony Joshua is set for another shot at the IBF heavyweight title but Daniel Dubois hopes to become a "king slayer" when the pair meet at Wembley Stadium.

Oleksandr Usyk vacated the IBF heavyweight championship just five weeks after becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion with his win over Tyson Fury, confirming his decision on X on Tuesday.

The all-British showdown was confirmed the following day as the duo prepare to battle at Wembley on September 21.

Joshua will bid to become a three-time world champion, while Dubois will appear in his first title fight after becoming the mandatory challenger for the IBF crown with his win over Filip Hrgovic this month.

The meeting will be Joshua's first at Wembley in three years, and Dubois hopes to bring his homecoming crashing down.

"That's just where I'm aiming for, to fight the best and be the best," Dubois said at Wednesday's press conference. 

"AJ's been the king for a long time and on the night, I need to become a king slayer and that's my goal, that's the mission at hand.

"I'm learning more about myself as a fighter, as a person, coming out of the darkness and into the light, improving all round as a fighter and as an athlete. I'm up for this and ready to go."

Joshua has repeatedly been suggested as a potential opponent for Usyk or Fury, though says he will turn his attention solely on the upcoming Dubois bout.

"Congratulations to Daniel for winning his last fight," a measured Joshua said at the same press conference. 

"I've been having Dubois on my mind for a while and he'll be on my mind for the next 12 weeks until I get my hand raised.

"The goal is just getting through a successful training camp, performing on the night and the shiny stuff comes at a later date."

Oleksandr Usyk has vacated the IBF heavyweight championship just five weeks after becoming undisputed world heavyweight champion with his win over Tyson Fury.

The Ukrainian handed Fury his first professional defeat via a split decision last month to unify the WBC belt with his WBA, WBO and IBF titles.

The fighters are set to face off in a rematch in December and Usyk had requested he keep the IBF belt to make that contest another undisputed bout.

However, the IBF's rules dictated that Usyk had to be stripped of the title if he did not face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois next.

Dubois is expected to face fellow Brit Anthony Joshua at Wembley Stadium on September 21, and that fight is now likely to be for the IBF championship.

Addressing Joshua and Dubois in an Instagram post, Usyk wrote: "The IBF belt is my present for you. 

"Your friend, the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, Oleksandr Usyk."

Usyk was the first undisputed heavyweight champion since the turn of the century, with Lennox Lewis last achieving the feat in the three-belt era in 1999.

Tyson Fury voiced his frustration after suffering the first defeat of his career to Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed world heavyweight title fight in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk won by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, and the first to unite all four belts.

The scorecards read 115-112 and 114-113 in favour of Usyk, while a third judge scored 114-113 to Fury.

After an even start, the momentum shifted in a brilliant ninth round for the Ukrainian as he caught Fury with a left hook, forcing the referee to give him a standing count before the bell saved him from a further onslaught.

A defiant Fury was not happy with the result, suggesting that Usyk received a sympathy vote from the judges.

"I believe I won that fight," he said in the ring. "I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority.

"His country is at war, so people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, I won that fight, in my opinion.

"It was one of the daftest decisions in boxing. We run it back in October. I'm not going to sit here and cry and make excuses."

Usyk remained undefeated as he took Fury’s WBC belt to add to his WBA, WBO and IBF collection.

"Thank you so much for my team. It's a big opportunity for my family, for my country," an emotional Usyk said afterwards. "I'm very happy.

"My people will be very happy. I think it's a big win, not only for me, it's a big win for my country, for soldiers who now defend my country.

"I think my father now is watching over me and is very happy. Dad, I love you. I can, you told me I can."

Tyson Fury's father John Fury was left with a nasty cut on his face after appearing to headbutt a member of Oleksandr Usyk's entourage at a pre-fight media day on Monday.

WBC belt-holder Fury will face Usyk for the undisputed world heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with both men defending undefeated professional records.

With both fighters and their camps present at a hotel in the city for media duties on Monday, the build-up to their bout – the most eagerly anticipated in the heavyweight division in recent years – got off to a chaotic start.

Fury's father was pictured with blood running down his forehead after becoming involved in an altercation with a man wearing a Team Usyk tracksuit.

Widely shared footage on social media appeared to show him headbutting the man, who then had to be restrained by other members of Usyk's entourage.

It was later reported that the Saudi Arabian authorities were aware of the incident but did not plan to take any action.    

Natasha Jonas was pushed to the limit but retained her IBF welterweight crown with a razor-thin split decision victory over American rival Mikaela Mayer in a thriller in Liverpool.

Jonas started strongly in the first defence of the world title she won by defeating Kandi Wyatt last July but Mayer steadily grew into the bout and was the busier of the two in several riveting exchanges.

It was an all-action affair but, despite being left with a cut below her left eye, Jonas, who raised her arm aloft at the final bell, was given the nod 96-94 and 96-95 as a third judge sided with Mayer 97-93.

The result divided opinion on social media but, after Jonas extended her record to 15 wins and two defeats with one draw in her home city, she indicated 2024 will be her final year in the sport.

The 39-year-old has won six fights in a row since losing on points to long-time rival Katie Taylor in May 2021, becoming a unified world light-middleweight champion before stepping down to reign at 147lbs.

She told Sky Sports: “Unfortunately I can’t be around forever, this is probably my last year in boxing and we want to make it the best chapter of the book.”

A rematch against an opponent six years her junior, a former unified world super-featherweight champion who was fighting at welterweight for the first time on Saturday night, would surely be welcomed.

Jonas said: “She’s in the top two people I’ve fought, she’s a very, very skilled operator and her time will come again. She beats a lot of the champions that are already here.

“That little bit of fear factor brings out the best in me, I need opponents like her to tango. With no disrespect to the likes of Kandi Wyatt, I knew I would dominate and I was supposed to win.”

Mayer, who slipped to her second defeat in 21 fights, wants a chance at gaining revenge over Jonas.

She said: “I thought I did enough to win. I would have given her the first round or two but after that, I feel like I out-punched her and landed the cleaner shots. I think that fight is worth seeing again.

“I just hope Natasha will be the stand-up champ that she is and give me another shot at the belt – I feel like I deserve it.”

Joseph Parker is certain Tyson Fury will improve on his underwhelming performance against Francis Ngannou when he takes on Oleksandr Usyk in their huge unification bout in February.

Following months of discussions between the fighters' representatives, WBC heavyweight champion Fury will finally take on Usyk – who holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and the Ring belts – in Riyadh on February 17.

Fury's plans to face the Ukrainian were almost dealt a surprising blow in October, when he was fortunate to score an unconvincing split-decision win over former UFC Heavyweight Champion and boxing debutant Francis Ngannou.

While many believe Fury's sloppy performance against Ngannou spells bad news for his meeting with Usyk, Parker is certain he will bounce back.

Asked whether he was confident in Fury's chances of victory, Parker told Stats Perform: "Very confident. I'm very confident that Tyson will take care of business.

"Francis Ngannou is a champion himself, the UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world and he put on probably the best camp of his life and a good performance against Tyson. 

"Tyson wasn't the best, he didn't put on the best performance and best display that he could have, but he got the win which is the main thing. 

"Now he's locked in this fight with Usyk on February 17. I think locking in that big fight with Usyk has been a big change for him, and hopefully he has the best camp and puts on the performance that we know he can."

Parker managed a stunning win over Deontay Wilder on Saturday, with the duo fighting on the same card as Anthony Joshua, who stopped Otto Wallin in the fifth round.

Wallin is also backing Fury to step things up for his next fight, suggesting Ngannou's performance simply caught the Gypsy King off guard.

"I didn't think that Ngannou was going to stand any chance, but he did a really good job," Wallin told Stats Perform.

"He lasted 10 rounds, which is really amazing with the limited amount of boxing experience that he has, he did a really good job.

"At the same time, I don't think Fury looked the same in that fight. He didn't look like he was really prepared. He looked off and Ngannou is a strong guy. 

"It's probably awkward coming from MMA, it's not easy to fight those guys. But I think when Fury is going to fight Usyk, he's probably going to step it up.

"Fury really has to be on his A-game. If he is, I think that he's going to win the fight."

Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their rematch at Wembley Stadium on this day in 2014 as the Nottingham fighter retained his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles.

Froch added to his victory in the initial bout in Manchester the previous November, in which he had recovered from a first-round knockdown and terrible start to stop Groves controversially in the ninth.

This time he finished the contest with a breathtaking eighth-round punch which knocked Groves out in front of a crowd of 80,000.

Froch said afterwards: “I showed tonight why I’m a four-time champion of the world, why I’ve defended my world title 13 times on the spin.

“I am amongst the best fighters in the world – that’s who George Groves was in there with tonight.

“The finish of that (fight) showed why I’ve mixed with the elite for many years and how hard it is to get to that level.”

He added: “I am feeling unbelievably elated. This is the best moment in the history of my boxing career.”

Groves made a solid start to the contest which began cagily, with neither fighter wanting to give anything away. Froch was patient, waiting for his opening and Groves struggled to keep pace as the fight wore on.

“I knew it was only going to take a couple of big right hands to the chin and I timed it perfectly,” Froch said.

Groves said: “It’s boxing and fair play to Carl, he caught me and I went down. Obviously I felt I was doing very well in the fight, I was in my groove and I was boxing well but it’s boxing.

“I’ll come back bigger, better and stronger. Ultimately I feel like I let myself down but congratulations to Carl, fair play, he got the punch.”

It proved the last fight for Froch – aged 36 at the time – before retirement, with him hanging up his gloves with a professional record of 35 bouts, 33 wins and two defeats, 24 of the victories coming by knockout.

Anthony Joshua will retire from boxing if he loses to Jermaine Franklin on Saturday.

Former WBO world champion Johnny Nelson had suggested Joshua should call time on his career if he loses for the fourth time, having already been defeated by Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk (twice).

And the 33-year-old confirmed he does intend to hang up his gloves if he is beaten by his American opponent at the O2 Arena in London.

"I will. I will retire if I lose. I'm not here to battle people. If people want me to retire I will retire," Joshua said to MailOnline.

"I'm not going to fight if people don't want me too. It's not even about the money. It's about the competitor in you. That's what's important."

Joshua said he would like to face Tyson Fury if the Gypsy King is unable to revive negotiations on a unification fight with Usyk, but also sounded as if he is looking forward to retirement and getting away from the pressure of elite boxing.

"It [pressure] comes with the business and it comes with the territory, I know that," he said. "I know when I am retired, I am gonna be chilling. I'm gonna be thinking f*** everyone. I am done.

"You lot put so much pressure on me so when I am done, the chains are going to be gone. I am going to be laughing and loving life."

Anthony Joshua should call time on his boxing career if he loses to Jermaine Franklin next weekend, according to former WBO cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua has fallen down the pecking order for another shot at the belt after losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk.

The 33-year-old has tasted defeat in three of his past five bouts, with Andy Ruiz Jr sensationally ending his opponent's unbeaten streak of 22 fights in June 2019.

Joshua returns to action on home soil at London's 02 Arena on Saturday in what will be his first fight since 2015 that has not been contested with a world title on the line.

And Nelson believes Joshua's career will effectively be over if he loses to Franklin, whose run of 21 wins in a row was ended by Dillian Whyte in November/

"If Anthony Joshua loses, he jacks it in," Nelson wrote in his column for Sky Sports. "If he doesn't jack it, he should jack it. Because it's a hard mountain to climb. 

"Especially when you've had the success and the heights that he's had. So he can't afford to lose. That's a must. Then from that, it's confidence building.

"We'll see if he really thinks 'you know what, I can eventually become world champion again, I'll fix what I got wrong'. He's only been boxing 10, 11 years as a professional fighter."

A showdown between Joshua and Tyson Fury twice fell through, but there has been renewed talk over the past week of the two men facing off later this year.

However, given the similar nature of Fury's proposed bout with Usyk also collapsing, Nelson is no longer interested in discussing that all-British clash.

"Personally, I fell in love with the idea at first but it was teased so much and it never happened," he said. "So I don't even don't want to talk about it."

Anthony Joshua has set his sights on becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion "within the next 16 months" as he prepares to face Jermaine Franklin.

The 33-year-old is not currently in the title picture after losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 and August 2022.

Joshua has tasted defeat in three of his past five bouts, with Andy Ruiz Jr sensationally ending his opponent's unbeaten streak of 22 fights.

But the Briton believes he is on the road back to the top, with a huge showdown against Tyson Fury again being touted should he overcome Franklin at the O2 Arena on Saturday.

"I do and I did want respect from people in the industry that I admire, ex-legends in the game and when you're not a champion any more you feel like that goes away," he said.

"That was definitely something I was yearning for – the respect from ex-champions. When I'd lost it, it was like 'f***, I've lost that invincibility', but it's all good.

“We move forward. I'm not really doing it for that purpose any more because I'm not in that position, but the desire? 

"One is definitely to become champion, which I think is possible within the next 16 months.

"I think we've got to see what happens this year with the belts. Let them be competed for and then potentially let them go up in the air and then we'll see where the belts land. 

"Then it's about just staying consistent, staying focused on improving for these next 12 to 16 months while I'm in title contention."

Next weekend's fight will be Joshua's first since 2015 that has not been contested with a world title on the line.

"There is definitely not as much nerves," he said. "That kind of pressure, that pressure cooker is off a bit. The pressure was a lot, I can't lie to you.

"But when you want something so bad, I was really pushing that undisputed narrative for so long, that road to undisputed hashtag with all of the brands we work with. 

"We pushed it, but now we're at a new stage. We can't look back. We're only looking forward and I see a bright future and that kind of keeps me in good spirits."

Tyson Fury has accused Oleksandr Usyk of being a "coward" and "running" away after a proposed heavyweight unification title fight collapsed.

WBC champion Fury and WBA, WBO and IBF world champion Usyk were due to step into the ring at Wembley on April 29.

A deal could not be agreed, though, with both parties unable to come to an agreement over terms for a purse split in the rematch clause.

Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk pointed the finger at Fury for "putting so many obstacles in front of making the deal."

Mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois is instead seemingly next in line for Usyk, and Fury claims that is bout the Ukrainian wanted rather than facing him.

He said in a social media post on Thursday: "[You] tried all week to get out of it, begging for a rematch like a little girl. You got your rematch, then didn't even wanna fight at that.

"Always know that you was never man enough to tangle with the 'Gypsy King' ever in your life. You little 14-stone coward, and your full team know it as well, and all the lawyers have got the full information.

"Keep running. Fight [Daniel] Dubois at the Copper Box now, and always know that you or anybody else like you would never tangle with the Gypsy King!"

Tyson Fury will have to train "extra hard" if a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk is set for April 29, his trainer SugarHill Steward admitted.

The two heavyweight champions have been exchanging barbs on social media in the push to secure a fight, which would see the crowning of first unified champion in the heavyweight division since 2000.

While it is widely reported that talks are progressing and terms are agreed, the fight is still yet to be officially announced – despite Fury saying publicly he wants to return to the ring next month.

That would result in a quick turnaround for the 34-year-old, who last fought in April 2022 against Dillian Whyte, but Steward is confident in the abilities of the Gypsy King.

"If that's what they agree on and that's what he wants to do, if he feels he can get ready for April 29 and fight Usyk then he'll just have to train extra hard for that," he told Sky Sports.

"It's a short bit of time, but I believe Tyson has the ability and the physical attributes to handle the situation."

Should the bout go ahead, Fury's plan, as always, will be to go for the knockout, Steward added: "The game plan is always a knockout.

"It's setting it up, using certain punches, certain movements to make your opponent move into that knockout punch.

"Good jabs set up knockouts. Every fight is adjustments and watching what your opponent does and making adjustments.

"It's not just one game plan ever. It's seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13. We're only doing 12 rounds, but you've got an extra one in the bag always."