Anthony Joshua's boxing career hit a snag this past weekend. The British heavyweight lost to Daniel Dubois in an IBF world title clash, getting knocked down three times before the referee stopped the fight in the fifth round.
This defeat marks Joshua's fourth career loss, adding to his previous setbacks. He dropped two 12-round decisions to Oleksandr Usyk without getting knocked down. In 2019, Andy Ruiz Jr handed Joshua a surprising upset loss, but Joshua bounced back later that year with a points win in their rematch.
Despite this recent setback, Joshua has promised he won't retire. There's talk of a possible rematch with Dubois. Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, has also hinted at a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury after Fury's rematch with Usyk in December.
Robert Garcia, who trained Joshua for his second fight with Usyk, believes the British boxer should keep fighting. In an interview, Garcia said:
"No [he shouldn't retire]! The Fury fight is still a huge fight for him. Even if Fury loses to Usyk again they fight each other in England and that's huge, they could sell 200,000 tickets if they fight each other. Another big fight for Anthony is Wilder also. That's two huge fights no matter what happened in their last fights, Fury and Wilder, both fights are huge for Joshua in England. He can still win those fights because he's got great power."
At 34, Joshua has shown he can come back from defeat. But more losses could spell the end of his impressive run. Right now, a fight with Deontay Wilder, who's also coming off a tough loss, seems like a good option. Talks for that match-up could start soon.
Joshua, once the face of British boxing, stands at a crossroads. His next move will be crucial in shaping the rest of his career.
