Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois: What next for former world champion?

Two-time satellite heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is astatine a crossroads aft his humbling decision astatine the hands of chap Briton Daniel Dubois astatine Wembley connected Saturday.

The 34-year-old was demolished successful a almighty show by a antheral 7 years his junior.

It was a 4th vocation decision for Joshua pursuing losses to Oleksandr Usyk successful 2021 and 2022, and underdog Andy Ruiz Jr successful 2019.

So with a long-awaited home blockbuster against Tyson Fury looking further distant than ever, what happens present for 1 of Britain's top ever heavyweight fighters?

Joshua arrived astatine Wembley aft 4 consecutive victories, including an awesome knockout triumph implicit Francis Ngannou successful March.

But helium was dominated by IBF heavyweight champion Dubois, who has mislaid 2 of his 24 fights.

After being knocked down successful the archetypal round, Joshua deed the canvas respective times more, including doubly successful the third, earlier the combat ended successful the fifth.

"He wasn't conscionable knocked retired - helium was outboxed, outthought and outfought and, ultimately, bullied by the stronger, younger, fitter guy," said erstwhile satellite champion Barry Jones connected the 5 Live Boxing podcast.

"He didn't retrieve from the archetypal knockdown. He did good to get up but helium was connected borrowed time."

Jones, a erstwhile featherweight, said no-one would beryllium "shocked" Dubois won but the bout was a "demolition job".

"Joshua looked truthful tentative," helium added. "He made novice mistakes."

Joshua told the podcast it was a "bad nighttime astatine the office".

"It conscionable wasn't my night," helium said. "I wasn't mounting shots up. In a shootout similar that you person to beryllium sniper-esque. But erstwhile you've been deed a fewer times you're successful endurance mode."

Former satellite heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said: "One feline showed up, 1 feline didn't. Disappointed."

In the contiguous aftermath of the fight, Joshua said helium wanted to proceed successful boxing.

Describing himself arsenic a "warrior", helium added: "If radical privation to spot maine fight, I volition fight."

Joshua won golden astatine the 2012 Olympics successful his location metropolis of London, and claimed his archetypal satellite rubric 8 years ago.

Saturday's combat was his 32nd arsenic a nonrecreational - and afterwards hinted helium had a rematch clause.

Fury, watching ringside, joked to a tv camera that Joshua's decision had outgo him £150m - the benignant of interest helium could person expected if the 2 were to fight.

In the meantime, Fury indispensable absorption connected his rematch with Usyk successful Saudi Arabia successful December.

Joshua has besides been linked with a bout against erstwhile satellite champion Deontay Wilder - but the 38-year-old American's past 2 fights were defeats against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. Wilder's trainer Malik Scott was astatine Wembley connected Saturday night.

While the Briton ponders his options, Jones is wide connected what helium believes his adjacent measurement should be.

Asked if Joshua should "walk away", the Welshman said: "I deliberation helium should. He's a recognition to the athletics and has reinvented athletics successful Britain successful galore ways. He made stadium fights look the norm.

"He's got each that money, he's inactive got his health, and he'll beryllium a personage until the time helium dies if that's what helium wants."

Joshua's long-time promoter Eddie Hearn said: "We've been present before, but the decision by Ruiz was acold much brutal.

"He's OK. He's gutted and benignant of kicking himself astir the mistakes helium made. A batch of radical astir him are saying: 'It couldn't person gone immoderate worse and helium inactive could person won.'

"Of people he's successful the closing chapters of his career, there's nary uncertainty astir that, and if you commencement getting knocked retired similar that you surely person to look astatine things.

"We each cognize we've seen the champion AJ implicit the past twelvemonth truthful it's hard to accidental that conscionable due to the fact that helium got chinned by Dubois, that's it."

Joshua became the poster lad of British boxing aft winning Olympic gold.

But contempt a glittering vocation and unforgettable wins including his 11th-round knockout of Wladimir Klitschko successful beforehand of 90,000 fans astatine Wembley successful April 2017, his estimation has been tarnished by consequent defeats.

"He is not the top heavyweight of each clip and was ne'er going to beryllium due to the fact that helium didn't person the absorption astir him to warrant that, but he's been a bully heavyweight," Jones added. "His bequest successful the UK is phenomenal. For a while, helium was the standout heavyweight successful the part - but not for a agelong while.

"The happening with boxers is - each the wealth is large but it's your identity. What bash you bash if you're not a boxer anymore?"