Two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is at a crossroads after his humbling defeat by the hands of fellow Briton Daniel Dubois at Wembley on Saturday.
The 34-year-old was demolished in a strong show by a person seven years his junior.
It was a fourth profession defeat for Joshua following losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, and underdog Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
So with a long-awaited home blockbuster towards Tyson Fury wanting additional away than ever, what occurs now for one in all Britain’s best ever heavyweight fighters?
Bullied, outboxed and outthought – the place did it go flawed?
Joshua arrived at Wembley after 4 consecutive victories, together with a powerful knockout win over Francis Ngannou in March.
However he was dominated by IBF heavyweight champion Dubois, who has misplaced two of his 24 fights.
After being knocked down within the first spherical, Joshua hit the canvas a number of instances extra, together with twice within the third, earlier than the combat ended within the fifth.
“He wasn’t simply knocked out – he was outboxed, outthought and outfought and, in the end, bullied by the stronger, youthful, fitter man,” mentioned former world champion Barry Jones on the 5 Reside Boxing podcast.
“He did not recuperate from the primary knockdown. He did nicely to stand up however he was on borrowed time.”
Jones, a former featherweight, mentioned no-one can be “shocked” Dubois gained however the bout was a “demolition job”.
“Joshua regarded so tentative,” he added. “He made novice errors.”
Joshua informed the podcast it was a “dangerous evening on the workplace”.
“It simply wasn’t my evening,” he mentioned. “I wasn’t setting photographs up. In a shootout like that you need to be sniper-esque. However once you’ve been hit a number of instances you are in survival mode.”
Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis mentioned: “One man confirmed up, one man did not. Dissatisfied.”
‘He ought to stroll away’ – what subsequent for Joshua?
Within the quick aftermath of the combat, Joshua mentioned he wished to proceed in boxing.
Describing himself as a “warrior”, he added: “If folks need to see me combat, I’ll combat.”
Joshua gained gold on the 2012 Olympics in his house metropolis of London, and claimed his first world title eight years in the past.
Saturday’s combat was his thirty second as knowledgeable – and afterwards hinted he had a rematch clause.
Fury, watching ringside, joked to a tv digital camera that Joshua’s defeat had value him £150m – the type of price he may have anticipated if the 2 have been to combat.
Within the meantime, Fury should concentrate on his rematch with Usyk in Saudi Arabia in December.
Joshua has additionally been linked with a bout towards former world champion Deontay Wilder – however the 38-year-old American’s previous two fights have been defeats towards Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Wilder’s coach Malik Scott was at Wembley on Saturday evening.
Whereas the Briton ponders his choices, Jones is obvious on what he believes his subsequent step must be.
Requested if Joshua ought to “stroll away”, the Welshman mentioned: “I feel he ought to. He is a credit score to the game and has reinvented sport in Britain in some ways. He made stadium fights appear the norm.
“He is obtained all that cash, he is nonetheless obtained his well being, and he’ll be a star till the day he dies if that is what he desires.”
Joshua’s long-time promoter Eddie Hearn mentioned: “We have been right here earlier than, however the defeat by Ruiz was much more brutal.
“He is OK. He is gutted and sort of kicking himself concerning the errors he made. Lots of people round him are saying: ‘It could not have gone any worse and he nonetheless may have gained.’
“After all he is within the closing chapters of his profession, there isn’t any doubt about that, and if you happen to begin getting knocked out like that you just definitely have to have a look at issues.
“Everyone knows we have seen the very best AJ during the last yr so it is troublesome to say that simply because he obtained chinned by Dubois, that is it.”
‘Phenomenal legacy’ – the place does the defeat depart his status?
Joshua turned the poster boy of British boxing after profitable Olympic gold.
However regardless of a glittering profession and unforgettable wins together with his Eleventh-round knockout of Wladimir Klitschko in entrance of 90,000 followers at Wembley in April 2017, his status has been tarnished by subsequent defeats.
“He’s not the best heavyweight of all time and was by no means going to be as a result of he did not have the opposition round him to warrant that, however he is been a very good heavyweight,” Jones added. “His legacy within the UK is phenomenal. For some time, he was the standout heavyweight within the division – however not for an extended whereas.
“The factor with boxers is – all the cash is nice nevertheless it’s your identification. What do you do if you happen to’re not a boxer anymore?”
