Anthony Joshua has vowed to continue his boxing career despite suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of IBF heavyweight champion, Daniel Dubois at Wembley.
Promoter Eddie Hearn assured fans that Joshua “will definitely be back.” Joshua, 34, was knocked down four times during the all-British clash on Saturday, with Dubois delivering a relentless onslaught that ended in a fifth-round knockout. This marks the fourth loss of Joshua’s career and shatters his hopes of becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion, raising questions about his future in the ring.
Joshua had been aiming to join the ranks of boxing legends like Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis as a three-time world heavyweight champion. Despite the defeat, witnessed by a record-breaking crowd of over 98,000, the former Olympic champion remains determined to fight on.
“Of course, I want to continue fighting,” said Joshua, who declined to take questions during the post-fight press conference. “We took a shot at success and came up short. Does that mean we’re going to run away? No. We live to fight another day. I’m a warrior.
“Always walk with your head held high. We rolled the dice for the third time. I’ve had 13 world title fights — not all of them were successful, but everyone was fun and entertaining. There were a few mistakes, but that’s the nature of the sport. At the top level, fine margins make the difference.”
Matchroom Boxing head, Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, sees potential for a rematch with Dubois or an all-British showdown with Tyson Fury, who is set to face Oleksandr Usyk on December 21.
“2025 will be an interesting year for Anthony Joshua, one way or another, but he will definitely be back,” Hearn said. “Whether it’s against Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury, or someone else, it will be entertaining. Our goal is to ensure Joshua leaves boxing with a strong legacy, a healthy fortune, and his health intact.”
Meanwhile, Dubois, 27, now awaits the outcome of Fury’s rematch with Usyk as he sets his sights on becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion. Usyk, who defeated Dubois last year, currently holds the WBC, WBO, and WBA belts.
“They all said I would get knocked out, but we saw who got knocked out,” Dubois said. “I did the job, and I’m glad to prove them wrong. But this is just the beginning of my journey. I want a rematch with Usyk and to make things right.”
