Anthony Joshua’s stunning fifth-round knockout defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September sent shockwaves through the boxing world. But while the loss was undoubtedly devastating, the question on everyone’s mind is: what’s next for AJ?
Heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte, a long-time rival of Joshua’s, believes the former champion should absolutely continue his career. Despite their heated history, Whyte sees significant potential remaining in Joshua’s arsenal. “He’s still got a lot left in the tank and he’s still a big draw,” Whyte told Sky Sports News. “And as you can see in the fight, he’s still a big puncher. He had Dubois going before Dubois landed the finishing blow.” Whyte highlighted Joshua’s youth, strength, and impressive physical condition, emphasizing that a single defeat shouldn’t define his career. He further argued against the overly critical reaction to losses in the heavyweight division, stating that “People put too much emphasis on a defeat in heavyweight boxing. They don’t get made because people put a lot of emphasis on win, lose and draw instead of enjoying the fact that two top guys are fighting each other now, which wasn’t happening a few years ago.”
However, a potential rematch with Dubois seems unlikely in the near future. Dubois is scheduled to defend his IBF heavyweight title in February, and Joshua’s team acknowledges he needs time to recover and strategize his next move.
Meanwhile, Joshua’s former trainer, Tony Sims, who guided him through the early stages of his professional career, believes a fight against Tyson Fury is the most logical next step, regardless of the outcome of Fury’s upcoming December 21st rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. Sims offered a more measured perspective, acknowledging the natural progression of boxing and the cyclical nature of generational change. “I think the younger ones now, leave them alone,” Sims told Sky Sports. “Boxing evolves like anything in life. The young ones come through. If you look at every heavyweight champion, like Ali, Larry Holmes, the young guys always come through to take over from the old guns. No matter how good you are. The youth always overcomes experience eventually.” He went on to emphasize the immense potential of a Joshua-Fury clash: “Joshua’s 34 now going on 35, he’s been a great champion. You’ve got a young fighter who’s hungry in Daniel Dubois and he’s took that title. I think the obvious fight is Tyson Fury and Joshua still, whether Tyson wins or loses against [Oleksandr] Usyk. I think that’s the obvious fight for Joshua next. I think that’s still a massive fight. Both of them are later on in age and I think that’s a great fight for both of them.”
The diverging opinions of Whyte and Sims highlight the complexity of assessing Joshua’s future. While Whyte champions his continued presence in the ring, Sims advocates for a strategic, high-profile match-up against Fury. Regardless of the path chosen, one thing is certain: the boxing world will be watching closely to see how Anthony Joshua responds to this pivotal moment in his career.
