In a historic fight on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium, Anthony Joshua had the opportunity to go down in history as the fifth three-time heavyweight champion in boxing, but in the end, he was unsuccessful. Now that many are debating if the Joshua era of British boxing is over, “AJ” has spoken to supporters throughout the nation.
At the weekend, Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois dominated Joshua from the first bell onwards, scoring four knockdowns in five rounds, the latest of which left Joshua stunned and unable to get up off the canvas, landing flat on his face. Eddie Hearn, who is now unsure of how the heavyweight division will play out, quickly acknowledged that he expects the Matchroom poster boy to face his younger local rival again. However, Hearn was unhappy with the outcome.
Many well-known boxers have recommended Joshua to retire from competition despite early reports of a rematch; but, in a video uploaded to social media, the London 2012 gold medallist assured fight fans that his path “is far from over yet.”
“We had a poor performance last night, but we must focus on the good things. That is the attitude, that is the viewpoint, that we must constantly have—a good one. Take a look at what we have accomplished in just eleven years—it is astounding. It’s been quite the ride, and I want to thank every one of you for being there. However, do you know what the issue is? It’s that it hasn’t ended yet.
“We have completed the task once, twice, and the third time hasn’t been simple, but I think I can succeed in doing it. It is about taking the correct actions, working hard, and getting better—and above all, it has to come from the heart. It must originate here, from the heart, and cannot originate from any other voices or forces.
“Even though it has only been a day, I already feel like I have a lot of this [heart], man,” I thought to myself. I am aware that I possess a lot of this.
“This is merely a movie to express my gratitude for your support and for accompanying me on this crazy adventure. Fasten your seatbelts, for I know in my heart that we still have a lot more to contribute to the game. Long may it continue. I’m grateful to British boxing; let’s rise together. Let’s go!
Frank Warren believes that Joshua does not have a decisive rematch provision in his contract, while Hearn maintains that Joshua does, to force a second meeting with the IBF world champion. If a stipulation like this isn’t in the contract, Dubois may choose to wait to challenge the victor of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch for the undisputed heavyweight title twice in as many years.
