‘He Is at a Crossroads in His Career. He Can’t Afford Another Loss’: Matchroom President Remains Brutally Honest About Anthony Joshua’s Future in Boxing

Ask a Briton, and he’ll be more interested to see Anthony Joshua take on Tyson Fury than listen to dreary sermons on climate change from far-away locales. Even if an exchange of jabs between the duo remains wishful thinking, a majority of fans would prefer that contest in lieu of sundry run-of-the-mill title challenges. Tyson’s stars remain bright despite the easy-breezy, walk-in-the-park bout against Derek Chisora. But for Anthony Joshua, unfortunately, his career seems to be skating on thin ice.

For the thirty-three-year-old Anthony Joshua, sand is gradually slipping out of hand. Two consecutive defeats at the hands of the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and a technical knockout from the American Andy Ruiz have shaken the faith fans and boxing lovers had in British boxing’s most marketable draw.

Matchroom’s Barry Hearn wants AJ to win a bout in 2023, rain or shine

On the back of that skepticism comes warning shots from one of the Big Chiefs in the boxing industry today. Seventy-four-year-old Barry Maurice Williams Hearn is the founder of Matchroom Sport, one of the most prominent sports promotion firms in Great Britain today.

Read More: Eddie Hearn Replaces His Father as the Matchroom Chairman

He handed over Matchroom’s reins to his son, forty-three-year-old Eddie. However, the old patriarch didn’t mince words while voicing concern for Anthony Joshua. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, “He is at a crossroads in his career. He can’t afford another loss.”

After the split decision loss to Usyk in August, AJ has remained mainly out of the ring. He is looking for a return by 2023, but the clarity on the opponent he will face remains vague.

Options awaiting Anthony Joshua

AJ feels a bout with Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury doesn’t carry as much weight as one against Dillian Whyte.

In February 2009, when they were amateurs, Whyte defeated Joshua for the first time. Some six years later, professionals, Joshua was able to exact his revenge with a seventh-round knockout at London’s O2 Arena.

Next in line falls Otto Wallin from Sweden. His promoter Dmitry Salita told Sky Sports that the Swede, who received massive appreciation for standing up to Tyson Fury’s onslaught in 2019, is very much ‘in play.’

Joshua might also challenged twenty-five-year-old Londoner Daniel Dubois, a WBA (Regular) Heavyweight titlist in the United Kingdom.

But voices from far away corners believe that Anthony Joshua should take a break from boxing. Johnny Nelson, a retired Cruiserweight champion from Britain, opines, “… He’s still not over the two losses from Usyk. He still has got to get his strength and belief back. He needs to reset and think, ‘I need to be back here again‘. He needs his motivation to fight, and he needs them for the right reasons …”

Even Barry Hearn voiced what most fans would rather see, “The fight we all want to see eventually is AJ against Fury. You’ll get stories – Tyson will say the fight is never going to happen, Joshua will say he’d rather fight Dillian Whyte. “Forget all of that. This fight has to happen, and I think it does happen at the tail-end of 2023, for all the marbles.”

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What do you think Joshua should do?