According to promoter Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua is still a heavyweight contender who can put on more exciting performances, even after being brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois. After being knocked out in the fifth round in an incredible collision at Wembley that marked IBF world champion Dubois’ rise to prominence, Joshua suffered his fourth career defeat.
With a granite chin, fierce strength, and technique, Dubois sent shockwaves through a division now faced with evidence that its most marketable star is a fading force with an unclear future.
Daniel Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round of their Wembley clash (Bradley Collyer/PA)
“What I witnessed was one guy showed up for the fight, the other guy didn’t,” was the biting assessment of Lennox Lewis after Joshua was floored four times in front of a record-breaking official attendance of 98,128.
But Matchroom Boxing boss Hearn believes the appeal of a rematch against Dubois as well as another all-British clash with Tyson Fury, who faces Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, provides options after Joshua himself vowed to fight on.
“That’s probably the only time in his whole career I’ve seen AJ really hurt,” said Hearn, who had overseen a careful rebuild of Joshua’s career following his losses to Andy Ruiz and Usyk.
“Of course he’s in the closing chapters of his career, there’s no doubt about that, and if you start getting knocked out like that, you certainly have to look at things.
🗣️ "I take my hat off to Daniel, well done to him and his team." – AJ#JoshuaDubois #RiyadhSeasonCard pic.twitter.com/mHxVW9UzfT
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) September 22, 2024
“You never want to carry on too long, but at the same time AJ is a heavyweight who doesn’t actually have many miles on the clock. Fighters sometimes need saving from themselves but AJ is a smart guy.
“We all know we’ve seen the best AJ over the last year so it’s difficult to say that just because he got chinned by Dubois, that’s it.”
Boxing’s new kingmaker Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, will have the ultimate say on where Joshua fits into the heavyweight landscape.
Hearn continued: “We have another fight with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh and Daniel Dubois is part of that plan, but so too could be Tyson Fury or another heavyweight.
“2025 is going to be an interesting year for Anthony Joshua, one way or the other, but he will definitely be back.
“Whether it’s against Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury or whoever, you are going to be entertained because that was incredibly entertaining, albeit you don’t want to see your fighter get beat like that.
“Our interests are to make sure he leaves this sport with legacy and a huge amount of money, but also his health intact.”
Hearn admits it “couldn’t have got any worse” after seeing Joshua saved by the bell at the end of the first and third rounds as his wide open defence invited catastrophe in the face of Dubois’ relentless assault.
Anthony Joshua still has the possibility of facing Tyson Fury, who was present at Wembley.
However, the former unified world champion got back up three more times to continue the fight, and his night was terminated by a counterright hand at the conclusion of a firefight in which he caught Dubois flush.
“The start was disastrous and the only positive I can take is the unbelievable heart, guts and nuts that AJ showed to never give up,” Hearn said.
“Even when he didn’t have his legs, he was trying to land the right hand and he was trying to find a way back into the fight.
“Daniel Dubois deserves a lot of credit as well. I don’t think he was disrespected as the champion, but he was the clear B-side in the fight and he came out as a star.”
