Anthony Joshua stands at a crossroads in his boxing career. The former heavyweight champion finds himself reflecting on his achievements and mulling over retirement after his recent loss to Daniel Dubois.
Joshua burst onto the professional scene in October 2013. He quickly made a name for himself with 20 consecutive knockout wins, snatching up the IBF title along the way. His career reached new heights when he unified the division against Wladimir Klitschko, adding the WBA and IBO belts to his collection.
The British boxer's first fight to go the distance came against Joseph Parker, where he picked up the WBO belt. But 2019 brought a shocking twist when Andy Ruiz Jr handed Joshua his first loss. Joshua bounced back, regaining his belts in a rematch later that year.
Oleksandr Usyk proved to be Joshua's toughest challenge yet. The Ukrainian outboxed Joshua twice, stripping him of his titles and dashing his hopes of regaining them in their 2022 rematch.
Joshua looked to be on the comeback trail with stoppage wins over Robert Helenius, Francis Ngannou, and Otto Wallin. But his quest to become a three-time world champion hit a major snag last September. Daniel Dubois knocked out Joshua in the fifth round of their IBF title fight at Wembley Stadium, leaving the former champion's future uncertain.
Now, Joshua seems to be weighing his options. He took to Instagram to share his thoughts, quoting the 2002 film 'Paid in Full':
"I love the game. I love the hustle. I feel like one of them ball players you know? Like Bird, Magic, James, Jordan, Kobe or something. You know I got dough, I could leave the league… But if I leave.…………. Are the fans still gonna love me, man? I get love out here in streets man."
Joshua's words hint at a man who's made his fortune but worries about losing the admiration of his fans if he hangs up his gloves.
The boxing world hasn't given up on Joshua yet. There's talk of a rematch with Dubois, though the new champion seems more interested in facing Usyk for the undisputed title. Joseph Parker, now in top form, is also angling for another shot at Joshua.
One fight that got away was the long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury. That dream matchup vanished when Fury announced his retirement at the start of January.
As Joshua ponders his next move, fans and pundits alike will be watching closely. Will the former champ decide to lace up his gloves for another run at glory, or will he choose to step away from the sport that made him a household name? Only time will tell.
