Trainer Tony Sims points out that Anthony Joshua’s latest setback in his loss to Daniel Dubois is a sign that he is getting old, as all fighters do sooner or later if they stay in the sport.
Matches carefully
Joshua can still win if matched carefully, as his promoter Eddie Hearn had done for him recently until his knockout loss to Dubois. AJ has enough left to beat Tyson Fury next and move on, but that would require Hearn matching him against non-punchers.
The 35-year-old Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) suffered his fourth career defeat, losing to IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) by fifth-round knockout on September 21 in front of a large audience. of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.
Joshua had looked good in his previous four fights against tune-up opposition, but he was overmatched against Dubois and was dropped four times in the fight.
It appeared at one point that the referee was going to stop the contest in the fourth round after Joshua was dropped, but he appeared to change his mind when he saw AJ get up. Many believed that the match should have been waved off.
“He’s had a fantastic career, but everyone gets old. There are always the youngsters who come through and Daniel Dubois was the young man who came through,” Tony Sims told Secondsout, talking about Anthony Joshua. “There will come a day when he will be Joshua’s age [34]and yet another comes along, and that’s the way boxing evolves.
“The great champions get older and the youngsters come through. That’s part of the story that happens. I think that’s what’s happened. Joshua has had a great career. What he’s done for our sport, is amazing. He brought stadiums, massive stadiums and packed out the O2 Arenas. He brought boxing to the forefront in Britain.
“It’s a short career. One minute you’re the young guy in the gym and the next minute you’re the oldest guy in the gym and that’s how fast it goes. That’s what I thought happened. Everyone moves on and it’s Dubois’s time. Someday it’s another youngster’s time. Maybe it’s his time. That’s just what happens.
Joshua has only lost to these three fighters:
-Andy Ruiz
– Oleksandr Usyk x 2
-Daniel Dubois
It’s not like Joshua has lost to too many different fighters over the course of his career, and he still has the power, speed and skills to keep winning for another decade.
What’s next for Joshua?
“He’s a very, very wealthy man, maybe one of the richest to come from these shores. He doesn’t need to fight, but if he does, he’ll be looking at Tyson Fury,” Sims said.
The promoters are already talking about Joshua fighting Tyson Fury next, and there’s a good chance we’ll see that happen. Joshua has opted not to rematch Daniel Dubois and will not risk facing Oleksandr Usyk again after losing to him twice. There aren’t any other compelling fights for him in the division that fans want to see AJ take on over Fury.