Daniel Dubois stunned everyone this century by landing enough right hooks to land a whale, much alone knock out Anthony Joshua. He also significantly ushered in the next generation of heavyweight boxers. In addition to keeping his IBF title, the 27-year-old Londoner dispelled the idea that the majority of boxing fans held—that Joshua, at almost 35, could still become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

Retirement appears to be more likely for Britain’s Olympic gold medallist and long-reigning master of the UK ring than joining that exclusive group. After one of the most incredible nights Wembley or any other venue has ever seen, Dubois believes the world is his oyster. First of all, he ingested Joshua whole in this instance. That was only the beginning; in less than five rounds, there were four knockdowns. Joshua started off lurching and lunging through a mist of despair, forming a big right for the initial knockdown.

Daniel Dubois (right) shocked the world by knocking out Anthony Joshua (left) on Saturday.

If the referee had completely followed the regulations, he would have taken at least eight counts in each round. Dubois was a cannon against a pistol in a fight between two giants billed as the most powerful punchers in boxing today.

Dubois produced a stunning right-hook in the fifth round which Joshua could not recover from

The 27-year-old unleashed a multitude of hard strikes during the fight at Wembley Stadium.

What will hurt Joshua the most, more than failing to grab the IBF belt from the youthful reigning champion’s waist, is that his famed left jab has been outclassed. Simply brushed aside.

AJ is only left with appreciation for his ability to wobble back to his feet after such brain-scrambling strikes. Disbelief that, before the fatal shot landed in the fifth round, he called his own Hail Mary, stopping Dubois in his tracks to glory. If only for a time, he was reduced to sleeping like a curled up 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 on the canvas.

The future of heavyweight boxing has been rewritten, and Saudi Arabia’s fortunes have been redirected. The long-awaited — and perhaps overdue — Battle of Britain between Joshua and Tyson Fury must now be called into question.

There is a new ring ruler, and a hundred million dollar battle without him in one corner does not sound as appealing. Even the most spectacular pre-fight show ever staged, complete with fireworks, could not compete with Dynamite Daniel. The stadium gradually filled as 96,000 ticket holders, concerned for their safety, made their way to the sold-out seats.

In doing so, Dubois retained his IBF heavyweight title and will continue to rise up the division

Dubois caught Joshua with a lightning quick counter-punch as he marched forward

‘AJ’ was sent crashing to the canvas for a fourth time on the night and could not recover

Dubois watched from above as Joshua collected his senses, before it was hastily waived off.

The promoters claimed a new record. At least at this new-ish Wembley. Not at the old location with the Twin Towers. Bolton Wanderers won the FA Cup on an April afternoon in 1923, defeating West Ham United 2-0 in what became known as the White Horse Final.

It was so named because a police horse named Billy enabled the kickoff by shoving scores of thousands of supporters off the pitch and a yard or so behind the touchlines.

The game had an official attendance of 126,407 people, including King George V, who was one of the few who sat down. Unofficial estimates of the number of people standing on the terraces ranged between 300,000 and 330,000.

The Gypsy King was the only royal present to observe Joshua and Dubois engage in combat.

Tyson Fury was greeted warmly as he took his position, a ringside recliner next to Oleksandr Usyk, whom he is scheduled to face in a rematch for the remaining heavyweight championships in Riyadh during Christmas week.

Win that, or lose a second time to the Ukrainian war mascot, Fury watched in hope that his next appearance at Wembley will be in another Brit-blockbuster, the long heralded showdown with Joshua. Although Saudi Arabia are at the planning stage of an even more monumental stadium in the desert.

Either way, there are more mega-millions to be made by these Goliaths of the prize-ring. As long as they keep delivering Sheikh, Rattle and Roll thrillers.

This time it was the turn of Joshua and Dubois to keep the Arab paymasters on the edge of their seats.

Joshua found himself on the canvas inside one round after a blistering start from Dubois

Joshua was given three standing counts as he battled to stay in the heavyweight title clash

Fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury was in attendance and watched on tentatively

In the alphabet world of big-time boxing AJ and DDD were sold by their promoters as big hitters who would give all in their renowned power to blast their way to the IBF title. Thereby keeping the Riyadh Season on the road.

Dubois and Joshua had played their part in the build-up, engaging in an angry spat on a TV promo, then each threatening to flatten the other.

Otherwise during fight week Joshua, accustomed as he has become to these huge occasions, had been the cool cat. Laidback, smiling and eloquent. The closer to the big night, the more tense Dubois became.

He punched a table when he objected to a question, gave curt one, two or three word answers to others.

Such is the pressure-cooker atmosphere of nights like this. The volume rising when a gaggle of celebrities are cheered to the rafters as they pop up on the giant screens. Be they A-list or Z-list.

Liam Gallagher cranked it to fever pitch with his rendition of a couple of hits which will feature in the Oasis reunion tour.

Dubois will now focus his attention on Oleksandr Usyk’s bout with Tyson Fury in December

The gladiators arrive, bringing with them more serious eardrum bursting. On this autumn night, the joint was positively bouncing as Dubois and Joshua entered a bear pit via fire rings and amid fireworks blasting into the night sky above the stadium. The challenger came to the sounds of The Godfather, as befitted his senior rank in this conflict, with Dubois accompanied by his trainer Don Charles, who had been reported as fired earlier in the week.The national song of Saudi Arabia, which had funded this north London extravaganza, and God Save The King were sung with varying degrees of enthusiasm before Michael Buffer declared them Ready to Rumble.

Following the show, this battle had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it did just that.