Daniel Dubois looks sensational as he knocks out Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium

Daniel Dubois produced a career-best performance as he knocked out Anthony Joshua in five rounds to retain his IBF world heavyweight title in front of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium.

The Greenwich fighter’s power was a problem from the opening bell for Joshua as his dreams of becoming a world champion for a third time were destroyed in north London.

Joshua, a big betting favourite, was down multiple times before the dramatic finish.

The challenger looked like he had hurt his South London opponent in the fifth round but then was floored by a right hand which toppled him face first onto the lower rung of the ropes.

Joshua failed to beat the count of referee Marcus McDonnell.

“Are you not entertained?,” said Dubois in his post-fight interview – the famous quote from Russell Crowe’s character Maximus in the box-office film Gladiator.

“It’s been a long journey and I’m grateful to be in this position, god bless.

“I’m a gladiator. I’m just a warrior until the end, the bitter end. I’m ready to go. I just want to go to the top level of this game, with my full potential.”

Dubois moved his record to 22-2 and recorded a third straight inside-the-distance victory after stoppages of Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia before his latest assignment on home soil.

It is some career arc for Dubois after stoppages at the hands of Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk, the latter could yet be a future opponent once again.

Asked about the turnaround in fortunes, he said: “Just the work behind the scenes. The work with my dad. All my family and my strong team here – they have helped me get through this. God bless you all, man.

“I have just been on a rollercoaster ride and this is my time – this is my redemption story and I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”

Frank Warren has promoted Dubois since he made the switch over from the amateur ranks.

“It was a phenomenal fight – I always thought it would be a Hagler-Hearns situation,” said Warren. “That is what it was. Two guys who gave it everything. A great champion and AJ, who absolutely contributed and showed his heart right until the end. It was just a brilliant, brilliant fight.

“I’m pleased because my man won and I’ve had faith in him from the beginning and I always felt he would do it. He’s done it.

“We’ll sit down and see the outcome of the 21st of December show in Riyadh (when Usyk rematches Tyson Fury) and then we’ll make some decisions. But he (Dubois) will want to be busy. He may want to be out again before Christmas, we’ll see. He’s a young man and I think he will improve as a fighter, on the strength of his last few results.”

Joshua’s fight stats dropped to 28-4. At the age of 34, the very real question is how much desire – let alone punch resistance – he has left to want to continue.

His post-fight analysis did not tell us that.

“Credit to him and his team – we rolled the dice at success and we came up short,” said Joshua. “You know I’m p***** – that I’m ready to kick off in the ring – but I’m going to keep my cool and keep very professional, give the respect to my opponent.

“I’m always saying to myself that I’m a fighter for a life. We keep rolling the dice.

“If I’m honest it’s a bit of a mix (whether he came up short or Dubois was too sharp). I had a sharp and fast opponent but, secondly, a lot of mistakes from my end. That is the game. It is what it is.”

PICTURE: MARK ROBINSON/MATCHROOM BOXING