Bob Arum has delivered a harsh assessment of Anthony Joshua’s boxing career, declaring it over following his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois. The Watford-born fighter was unable to achieve his goal of becoming a three-time champion after being knocked out in the fifth round at Wembley, in front of an impressive crowd of 96,000 fans. Dubois showcased his dominance by retaining his IBF heavyweight title and knocking Joshua down four times during the fight.
The legendary Hall of Fame promoter, who has been involved in the sport for over seven decades, expressed skepticism about Joshua’s chances of a comeback. Speaking to FightHub, the 92-year-old Top Rank chief stated, “No, you don’t have an off night getting the s*** kicked out of you that way. I just think AJ has been through a lot of wars, and I think it’s over for him as well as for Wilder. Maybe they can fight each other; that’d be good.”
Despite Arum’s grim outlook, Joshua remains determined not to retire after the setback. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, is already in the process of creating a shortlist of potential opponents for Joshua’s return to the ring. In an interview with iFLTV, Hearn mentioned that Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and a rematch with Dubois are all under consideration.
Hearn had previously noted that Joshua had a rematch clause for facing Dubois again during a post-fight interview in the ring on Saturday night. Wilder, who held the WBC title from 2015 to 2020, has been a long-anticipated opponent for Joshua. However, negotiations for an undisputed showdown never materialized before Tyson Fury took the title from Wilder.
Although Wilder has lost his last two bouts against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, and is set to turn 39 next month, he is contemplating a return to the ring. A fight with Joshua could serve as a final opportunity for both fighters to reclaim championship status, with the winner potentially eyeing another title shot while the loser may decide to retire from the sport.
