Matchroom Sports CEO, Eddie Hearn has revealed that Anthony Joshua’s boxing career may be coming to an end following his catastrophic loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last Saturday.
The former champion was floored four times before being knocked out in the fifth round by Dubois, who retained his IBF world heavyweight title in front of 98,000 spectators.
In a candid talk with Joshua following the crushing defeat, Hearn said that he told the boxer he might only have one to three fights left in his career.
Speaking to Charlie Parson of The Stomping Ground, Hearn said, “I said to AJ on the phone you’ve probably got between one and three fights left. Then it went a bit quiet. He kind of realised, blimey, we’re on the home straight. We really are.”
Despite the loss, Hearn acknowledged that Joshua has a rematch clause, which he is expected to use soon. The promoter is certain that Joshua, who has at least one more fight with the Saudis, will pursue a rematch against Dubois.
Given the one-sided nature of Saturday’s battle, Joshua may consider other possibilities to reclaim his position at the top of the heavyweight rankings. One possibility is a long-awaited rematch with Tyson Fury, who will face Oleksandr Usyk in December. If Fury wins, a voluntary defence against Joshua might finally resolve the domestic rivalry.
If Fury and Joshua are both left out of the title picture, they could fight each other in an attempt to get back into the conversation about championships. Another opponent Joshua could face is the former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, whose teams were never able to come to an agreement for an undisputed showdown before Fury stripped Wilder of his title.
Wilder has lost his last two fights against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, and he is thinking about going back into the ring. If the fight takes place, the winner might fancy his chances of winning again, while the loser would probably ride out to the grave.
Joshua’s next fight, whether it’s a rematch with Dubois or another top heavyweight, could decide whether he makes one last run for championship glory or hangs up his gloves.
Written by Jennifer Amarachi
