Anthony Joshua was knocked out in a shocking defeat to Daniel Dubois in the fifth round of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) World Heavyweight Championship Bout on September 21, 2024.

If he beat Dubois, Joshua would have become the fourth three-time world heavyweight champion ever in boxing.

Joshua was a -425 favorite to defeat Dubois per DraftKings, so it surprised many boxing fans that Dubois dominated Joshua; Dubois knocked Joshua down in the first, third, fourth, and fifth rounds.

After a vicious right hook from Dubois in the fifth round, Joshua collapsed to the canvas, rolling around and trying to get up, but he couldn’t get up before the count of 10.

The loss has many boxing fans raising questions about Joshua’s future in the sport. Seeing as Joshua is 35, it’s fair to wonder whether Joshua is nearing the end of his esteemed career.

Saint Paul’s senior Nathan Luper feels Joshua will ‘’fade out’’ of boxing because getting another title shot is almost out of the picture. ‘’Joshua probably won’t get another title shot because after four losses, he will fade out of boxing. It’s like Tony Ferguson fading out of the UFC,” Luper said.

“After this devastating loss, his career is as good as over. It’s a shame because he used to be one of the best about two years ago,” said Saint Paul’s freshman Eli Hadley.

Joshua is familiar with being on the losing end of upsets. In 2019, he lost his unified heavyweight championship to Andy Ruiz Jr. by technical knockout in the seventh round despite being a -2500 favorite to win, per Caesars Sportsbook; however, he avenged his loss later that year, beating Ruiz by unanimous decision. Joshua also lost to current unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 by unanimous decision after becoming a -275 favorite to win. He lost a very close rematch against Usyk by split decision in 2022.

The losses against Usyk broke Joshua’s spirit, and he was overcome with disappointment in himself instead of pride for his accomplishments. ‘’It’s really, really hard for me to say I’m proud of myself. I’m upset, really, deep down in my heart,’’ Joshua said (via Reuters).

Joshua’s broken spirit made it seem to many boxing fans that he might retire after losing to Usyk two years ago, but he kept fighting with one goal in mind: win a world championship again. He started this mission by defeating heavyweight prospect Jermaine Franklin by unanimous decision, knocking out heavyweight veteran Robert Helenius in seven rounds, blazing through top heavyweight contender Otto Wallin, stopping him in five rounds, and knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in two rounds, whom most boxing fans thought would be a tough fight for Joshua. 

Because Joshua won all those fights within a year, he was back on the radar for a shot at a world championship. 

One thing that made this loss extra disappointing was that his opponent, Daniel Dubois, who was awarded the IBF Heavyweight World Championship, was considered a fighter who many boxing fans thought was vulnerable to losing his title. This gave Joshua a golden opportunity as he thought this would be a favorable matchup and a fight that Dubois would agree to.

Former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker agreed that Dubois was a favorable matchup for Joshua because Dubois ‘’takes a lot of right hands.” Parker predicted Joshua would ‘’take [Dubois] out in the first for or five rounds.’’

If Joshua doesn’t get a rematch with Dubois, it’s unlikely that he will ever get another chance at a world title since other champions will see him as a high-risk, low-reward type of fight.

Joshua revealed in a powerful statement that his stellar career is ‘’far from over,’’ even after questions have arisen about his retirement. 

‘’Look at what we have achieved in 11 years. It is phenomenal. And I want to thank every single one of you that has been riding with me. What a rollercoaster journey. And it is far from over,’’ Joshua told his social media channels.

While winning another world championship is a long shot for Joshua, it’s not impossible. Joshua has an immediate-rematch clause that he can activate to fight Dubois again, but it will only go into effect if Saudi Arabian Royal Turki Alalshikh, who is behind some of boxing’s biggest fights, approves the clause. Even if the clause is approved, Joshua will need a different game plan to avenge his and become a three-time world champion.

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Feature Photo Credit: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters