'Young pretender Dubois legitimises world title reign'

Daniel Dubois was nan heavyweight champion lacking a crowning moment, but connected Saturday nan young pretender from Greenwich legitimised his reign.

Youth, fearlessness and earthy determination prevailed arsenic Dubois destroyed nan elder statesman, Anthony Joshua, successful 5 rounds pinch 96,000 fans base witnesser to nan passing of a torch.

When Dubois told america he was nan "king slayer" only a fistful listened, fto unsocial believed him.

Now, those who labelled him a "paper champion" for being upgraded from interim to world champion erstwhile Oleksandr Usyk vacated nan IBF loop person been hushed.

In a marquee event wherever musician Liam Gallagher belted retired 3 Oasis classics, Joshua's masterplan to go a three-time champion ended successful disappointment.

The daze consequence leaves his distinguished profession astatine a crossroad - aliases possibly hurtling into nan extremity sign.

BBC Sport reflects connected Dubois' career-defining infinitesimal and what nan result intends for Joshua and nan heavyweight division.

Dubois, 27, becomes a apical canine successful nan glamour division, but 'Dynamite' is not a flash successful nan cookware and has agelong been prophesied for heavyweight stardom.

His begetter Stan instructed him to do hours of press-ups from nan property of five, introduced him to pugilism aged 8 and encouraged him to move master aft a fewer elder bouts..

As a teenager, Dubois reportedly rocked Joshua successful sparring and caught nan attraction of Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren.

"I ever believed successful him," an "extremely proud" Warren said successful nan post-fight news conference.

Dubois was wide written disconnected by pundits, fans and his peers aft defeats by Joe Joyce and Usyk. There person been changes of trainers, rebuilds and moreover cruel calls for status while still successful his mid-20s.

Then location are those who mocked nan reserved champion's trash talk - aliases alternatively deficiency of - and suggested he would crumble nether nan unit of a Wembley crowd.

All week he played 2nd fiddle to Joshua, but nan silent assassin refused to beryllium intimidated erstwhile it mattered, not taking a azygous backmost extremity and dropping AJ 4 times.

Jeered heading into nan ringing but shouted arsenic he left, Dubois told reporters: "I was Daniel successful nan Lion's Den. I was unstoppable. I wasn't going to beryllium denied."

Boxing waited 25 years for an undisputed heavyweight champion earlier Usyk outpointed Fury successful December.

Casual followers nary longer needed an explainer connected why location were aggregate world champions, a deficiency of 1 azygous ranking strategy aliases nan soul workings of 4 main governing bodies.

Dubois' triumph sets up a imaginable bout against nan winner of nan Fury-Usyk rematch, wherever a triumph could complete 1 of nan astir singular turnarounds successful nan sport's history and different undisputed champion.

A fresh-faced Joshua, pinch nary miles connected nan clock, stopped nan overmatched Charles Martin to triumph his first world title 8 years ago. Today, he presented a very different man and fighter.

Joshua admirably said to nan property afterwards to opportunity "of people I want to conflict again", but for nan first clip since facing Usyk he faced a live, vulnerable force and came unstuck.

Maybe we were lured into a mendacious consciousness by this expected second-coming of Joshua - opponents James Franklin, Robert Helenius, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou were acold from world-beaters.

Or possibly begetter clip has conscionable slow caught up. During Joshua's purple spot he seemed unstoppable. As moreover nan astir accomplished of boxers yet find out, purple patches are not endless.

For arsenic agelong arsenic he is active, Joshua will stay a immense draw. Though nan magnitude and crossover entreaty of a imaginable AJ-Fury contest, which promoter Eddie Hearn says could still happen, has greatly diminished.

If Saudi Arabia has go nan location of big-time boxing, conflict week successful London was an accumulation of nan Kingdom's increasing and arguable power connected nan sport.

The paper was billed arsenic a 'Riyadh Season' arena and organised by Turki Alalshikh. He is nan president of Saudi Arabia's wide intermezo authority, funded by Saudi's Public Investment Fund reported to person spent much than £5bn connected sport.

And location was small disbursal spared by Alalshikh successful a conflict week of a standard ne'er seen earlier successful British boxing.

Fighters knowledgeable nan Hollywood premiere curen astatine a lavish expansive arrivals successful London's Leicester Square.

Three master bouts were moreover held aft Wednesday's nationalist workout wherever clever staging transformed Wembley Arena into Buckingham Palace.

A news convention was staged astatine London's breathtaking Grade I listed Guildhall, and Trafalgar Square provided an iconic weigh-in location.

On conflict night, a raucous crowd was a marked opposition from nan much tranquil and quiet mounting of nan alcohol-free Kingdom.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, character Sienna Miller and movie head Guy Ritchie added personage stardust. Saudi Arabia tourism was promoted done videos and competitions connected nan Wembley screens.

A booth extracurricular nan stadium allowed fans to 'capture your Saudi moment' by trying accepted mediate eastbound coffee, while nan Kingdom's nationalist anthem was played retired earlier God Save nan King to "honour" nan organisers.

The full arena was caller territory for British boxing and provides dream that nan athletics is heading successful nan correct guidance by staging nan biggest fights regularly.

But astatine what cost? Fury v Usyk heads to Riyadh for nan 2nd clip and location is nary guarantee that Joshua aliases caller king Dubois will compete successful Britain anytime soon.

On nan flip side, without nan Saudi investment, location is each chance these immense heavyweight showdowns would not beryllium happening astatine all.