Trainer Tony Sims points out that Anthony Joshua’s recent setback in his loss to Daniel Dubois is a sign that he is getting old, as all fighters sooner or later do if they stay in the sport.
Adjust carefully
Joshua can still win if he is matched carefully, as his promoter Eddie Hearn did for him recently, until his knockout loss to Dubois. AJ has enough left to defeat Tyson Fury next and move on, but that will require Hearn to match 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 crowd of 96 000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.
Joshua has looked good in his four previous fights against opposition opposition, but he was outmatched against Dubois and was dropped four times in the fight.
At one point it looked like the referee was going to stop the match in the fourth round after Joshua was knocked out, but he seemed to change his mind when he saw AJ get up. Many felt the fight should have been called off.
“He had a fantastic career, but everyone gets old. There are always the young people who come through, and Daniel Dubois was that young man who came through,” said Tony Sims secondst, talking about Anthony Joshua. “There will be a day when he’s Joshua’s age (34) and someone else will come though, and that’s how boxing develops.
“The great champions get old, and the young come through. It is a part of history that is happening. I believe that is what happened. Joshua had a wonderful career. What he has done for our sport is incredible. He brought stadiums, massive stadiums and packed the O2 Arenas. He brought boxing to the fore 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 in the gym, and that’s how fast it goes. This is what I believed happened. Everyone’s moving on, and now it’s Dubois’ time. One day it will be another youngster’s time. Maybe Moses Itauma that it will come to the table when it is his time. That’s just age, and that’s 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 too many different fighters during his career, and he still has the power, speed and skills to keep winning for another decade.
What’s next for Joshua?
“He is a very, very rich man, perhaps one of the richest to come from these shores. He doesn’t have to fight, but if he does, he’ll look at Tyson Fury,” Sims said.
The promoters are already talking about Joshua fighting Tyson Fury next, and there is a good possibility that we will see that happen. Joshua chose not to take a rematch with Daniel Dubois, and he is not going to 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 besides Fury.
