Should Deontay Wilder Retire? Anthony Joshua Seemingly Answers the Burning Question

Deontay Wilder suffered the heaviest loss of his career against Zhilei Zhang on June 1 as he stumbled on the mat after facing the brunt of two right hooks. A loss drops him out of the title frame in the heavyweight division, and at 38, his time at the top is running out. So, the American fighter has a tough call to make. Should he call it quits? His rival, Anthony Joshua, gives his honest take.

‘AJ’ and ‘The Bronze Bomber’ had been in talks for a potential fight for almost a year. But those plans got shelved as the latter dropped the fight to Joseph Parker last year, and his loss against Zhang amounted to his fourth loss in his last 5 outings. When asked by DAZN what the British fighter made of Wilder’s dwindling returns, he said, “Nah, it is what it is.”

Then Joshua, 34, discussed the possibility of Wilder continuing his career despite being in his twilight years. He welcomed the idea of the former WBC champion stepping into the squared circle again, but also pointed out that Wilder had to take care of his family too. Joshua continued, “Come again if you want. But he’s got his family, and there’s a life outside of boxing for him.”

“It’s a blessing, and it doesn’t last forever. That’s why I say it, with Wilder, if he wants to go again, give it another crack. But sooner or later, Father Time will catch up with you – with everyone.”

It seems Wilder, at 42-4-1, would risk his legacy if he continued fighting and accumulating losses. The Alabama native is now low on confidence and looks like a shadow of his former sturdier self. But he has already done enough to secure a life for his family and can cherish the time with them, especially his daughter. Meanwhile, Joshua is gearing up for his September return, and he again won’t have Wilder standing across from him in the ring. However, the Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5×5 bill gave him a name to look forward to.

Anthony Joshua’s Wembley spectacle: An all-British battle

Daniel Dubois pulled off an upset against Filip Hrgovic and claimed the interim IBF heavyweight strap. There’s more! The winner of Hrgovic vs. Dubois  was supposed to face AJ in a high-voltage contest at Wembley in September. In Boxing, getting too attached to your belts is never encouraged and so, the chances are that Oleksandr Usyk‘s IBF title will be on the line by then. The Ukrainian champion may get stripped if the sanctioning body plans on doing so.

Usyk has a rematch clause with Tyson Fury, and the two are set to run it back in December. So, naturally, ‘The Cat’ will not be able to defend it against his mandatory, as of now, Dubois. This is not all! The victor of Dubois vs. Joshua will go up against the winner of Usyk vs. Fury in an electrifying showdown somewhere in the first half of next year. Does this excite you? While Joshua is the frontrunner, ‘Dynamite’ has shown his explosiveness and could edge past him.

What do you make of these comments by Anthony Joshua about Deontay Wilder? Do you believe this loss will ensure the end of Wilder’s pro career? Let us know in the comments below.