Eddie Hearn makes it clear: ANthony Joshua isn’t thinking about retirement

By: Sean Crose

Things have not gone well for former world titlist Anthony Joshua in recent years. While the man crushed UFC star Francis Ngannou last March, the truth is that the imposing Englishman has lost three major fights since 2021. Two of those fights were against the now legendary Olekdandr Usyk, the most closest that boxing currently has to a chess master. Joshua’s last fight, which took place last September, however, saw him crushed by Daniel Dubois, a talented fighter, no doubt, but no one was inclined to think he could beat Joshua. It’s understandable that some may feel that 35-year-old Joshua’s best days are behind him.

According to promoter Eddie Hearn, however, Joshua is not thinking about retirement, “one because physically he feels good and looks good, but also because when you suffer a loss like that the decision isn’t, ‘Do we want to retire?’ Now the question is, ‘What will we be like when we return?’” Appearing on White and Jordan show, Hearn made it clear that he believes there is a process for these things. “I think a fighter coming back from a defeat a couple of weeks later is generally fine,” the Matchroom boss said. “They go back to the gym, everyone pats them on the back and they’re fine.”

Is Joshua okay, though? “He is in pain,” Hearn admitted. “He took a turn for the worse at times in that fight (Joshua’s knockout loss to Dubois) and I think he managed to get back up and wants to come back stronger.” Indeed, Hearn indicated that Joshua is an individual with heart to spare. “He had to live that experience,” Hearn said of the fight with Dubois. “He never stopped trying, he never stopped trying to get up to the point where he couldn’t get up.”

However, Hearn also made it clear that the end of Joshua’s career is now much closer than the beginning. With that in mind, there are two fights he would like to see his very popular fighter engage in before considering it a career. “One is a Daniel Dubois rematch,” Hearn said, “and the other is a Tyson Fury fight.” Even with that said, Hearn appears to be aware that his fighter’s truly impressive career is now winding down. “How many fights do we have left?” Hearn asked rhetorically. “It could be one, it could be three, but it’s that range.”

Fair enough. Sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to a sport as brutal as boxing can be.