TYSON FURY refused to kick Anthony Joshua when he was down after his destruction at the hands of Daniel Dubois.
Joshua’s bid to become a three-time heavyweight champion went up in smoke on Saturday night as he was knocked out in the fifth round of his Wembley war with his former sparring partner.
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The Watford warrior was knocked down FOUR TIMES before head coach Ben Davison belatedly threw in the towel as the referee waved off the contest.
Fury was ringside for his long-time Brit rival’s crushing defeat but wasn’t in the mood for mocking him as he mentally still lay on the canvas.
He told Queensberry Promotion’s official YouTube channel: “Listen, it’s heavyweight boxing.
“It happens, doesn’t it? It happened to me, it can happen to anybody.”
READ MORE ON AJ VS DUBOIS
SunSport revealed this week that a blockbuster two-fight deal with Fury would have been the spoils for AJ had he emerged victorious from his domestic dust-up with Dubois.
And Fury couldn’t help but lament the loss of his biggest payday seconds after the fight was waved off, raging: “Listen that’s cost me £150million, the silly c**t.”
His manager Spencer Brown, however, insisted: “You can still fight him.”
But an incensed Gypsy King replied: “Of course it has, he’s f*. Turki you better pay me now!”
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‘Are you not entertained? I’m a gladiator’ – What Dubois and Joshua said after brutal fight
DANIEL DUBOIS annihilated Anthony Joshua’s dream of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion, writes Wally Downes Jr.
Joshua was floored FOUR times as Dubois landed an astonishing fifth-round knockout in front of a record 96,000 Wembley crowd and millions of TV viewers to retain his IBF belt.
AJ, 34, never recovered after being downed in the first round of last night’s Battle of Britain showdown as a huge Dubois right-hand haymaker caught him flush on the chin.
Here’s what they said after the fight:
DANIEL DUBOIS
“Are you not entertained? I’m a gladiator, a warrior to the bitter end. This is the biggest win of my career. I couldn’t let this opportunity go and now I want to go to the top level of this game.
“I’ve been on a roller-coaster ride and this is my time. I’m not gonna stop until I reach my full potential.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA
“As p***ed off as I am, it is what it is.
“I had a sharp, fast opponent and there were a lot of mistakes from me. Credit to my opponent and his team.
“We rolled the dice and came up short. You know I’m p***ed but I’m going to keep cool and give respect to my opponent.”
FRANK WARREN (DUBOIS’ PROMOTER)
“It was a phenomenal fight, like Hagler v Hearns.
“A brilliant fight and everybody has seen a champion’s performance tonight.
“Daniel has shown his courage, his skills.
“AJ caught him with a shot towards the end and I was worried, but what a fabulous, fantastic fight.”
EDDIE HEARN (AJ’S PROMOTER)
“AJ shipped a huge right hand in the first round and was fighting on heart.
“He hurt Daniel at the end of the fourth and then again in the fifth, but got greedy and walked on to a right hand and that’s all she wrote.
“I’m sure Anthony will exercise the rematch clause.”
Joshua, 34, is facing calls to hang up his gloves following his decimation at the hands of IBF king Dubois.
But the Watford warrior insists he won’t be bringing the curtain down on his iconic career anytime soon.
He said: “Before I came here, I’m always saying to myself, ‘I’m a fighter for life.’
“We rolled the dice at success and we came up short and we roll it again. We keep rolling the dice.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn expects the London 2012 gold medallist to exercise the rematch clause in his initial contract to face Dubois.
The Matchroom Boxing chief said: “I’m sure he will exercise that rematch clause. I mean, I think that’s a given.
“But he’ll need a rest and it’s a dangerous fight this guy’s growing in confidence but he’ll believe he can hurt Dubois.
“He’ll believe he can beat him but full credit to Daniel Dubois he deserves all the credit it was a great performance from Daniel.”
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