‘Joshua close to retirement’

Matchroom Sports CEO Eddie Hearn has admitted that Anthony Joshua’s boxing career may be nearing its end following his devastating loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

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 fans.

In a candid conversation with Joshua after the brutal defeat, Hearn revealed he told the boxer he may have only 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 confirmed that a rematch clause exists, and Joshua is likely to activate it soon.

The promoter is confident that Joshua, who is contracted to at least one more fight with the Saudis, will pursue the rematch with Dubois.

However, given the one-sided nature of Saturday’s fight, Joshua could explore other options to regain his position at the top of the heavyweight division.

One possibility is a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, who is set to face Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch this December. Should Fury emerge victorious, a voluntary defence against Joshua could finally settle the score between the domestic rivals.

Alternatively, if both Fury and Joshua find themselves out of the title picture, they could face each other in a bid to re-enter the championship conversation.

Another potential opponent for Joshua is Deontay Wilder, the former WBC champion. Joshua and Wilder’s teams never managed to agree terms for an undisputed showdown before Fury relieved Wilder of his belt.

Wilder has lost his last two bouts against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang and turns 39 next month, but is considering a return to the ring, and a fight with Joshua could be appealing.

If the fight happens, the winner could fancy his chances of becoming a champion again, while the loser would likely sail off into the sunset.

The outcome of Joshua’s next fight, whether it be a rematch with Dubois or a clash with another top heavyweight, could determine whether he makes one final push for championship glory or hangs his gloves.