LONDON – December 3, 2022 — In one of the more improbable turnarounds seen under the bright lights of a heavyweight co-main event, Daniel Dubois (at the time 19-1) clawed his way back from a disastrous opening round to stop Kevin Lerena in round three at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What began as a routine title defence quickly turned into a nightmare for Dubois, who hit the canvas three times in the first round alone. Lerena, a former cruiserweight champion turned heavyweight spoiler, capitalized early, dropping Dubois with a shot to the temple that sent shockwaves through the 60,000 in attendance. Dubois, visibly unsteady, touched down twice more—each time opting to kneel to survive an onslaught, raising immediate concerns in his corner.

Unknown to the crowd at the time, Dubois had suffered a knee injury—later confirmed as a torn ACL—during the initial knockdown. It left him off-balance and vulnerable, teetering on the edge of defeat with each passing second of the round. But where some would have folded, Dubois dug deep.

The second round saw a wounded but regrouped Dubois take a more cautious approach, slowing the pace and managing to keep Lerena at bay long enough to buy precious recovery time. Lerena, perhaps sensing the momentum slipping, failed to press the advantage.

Then, the third round began—and so did Dubois’ comeback. With thunder in his right hand, the Londoner turned the tide with a well-timed counter that floored Lerena, flipping the script entirely. With blood in the water, Dubois poured on the pressure, hammering the South African with a barrage of uppercuts and hooks until the referee waved off the bout as Lerena sagged into the ropes.

The stoppage not only allowed Dubois to retain his WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight title, but also preserved his ambitions for future world title opportunities. Despite the early chaos and the injury setback, the 25-year-old proved he could endure adversity and still find the finish.

Promoter Frank Warren confirmed post-fight that Dubois would undergo scans to assess the knee damage, with plans to return in the new year pending recovery. Regardless of the timeline, one thing is clear—Dubois added heart to his already fearsome punch power.