Anthony Joshua makes retirement stance clear after losing to Daniel Dubois | Boxing | Sport

Joshua was interviewed immediately after the fight and honestly assessed what went wrong during his performance. With a smile, he said, “The opponent,” and quickly followed up by giving credit to his rival and their team.

Joshua then took a moment to express his gratitude to the fans at Wembley, saying on DAZN: “I appreciate you coming out this evening.” Staying composed, he added, “I’m going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give my respect to my opponent.”

“You know what it is? Before I came here, I’m always saying to myself I’m a fighter for life,” he said. “We rolled the dice on success, and we’ve just come up short. And we roll it again. You know what I mean? We keep rolling the dice.”

Joshua’s manager and promoter, Eddie Hearn, acknowledged the sting of the loss but found some comfort in knowing that the loss came at the hands of a fellow British heavyweight. Speaking after the fight, Hearn stated that while the beating was tough, Joshua would likely exercise the rematch clause in their contract to fight again.

Dubois showcased his power and precision in the ring, delivering a series of powerful knockdowns before sealing the fight in the fifth round. Dubois first sent Joshua to the canvas in rounds one, three, and four, each knockdown further weakening the former champion.

The fight-ending moment came in the fifth round when Dubois unleashed a perfectly placed right hand on Joshua’s jaw. The punch instantly dropped Joshua to the blue decal canvas, and his head momentarily fell under the ropes.

Despite his best efforts, Joshua was unable to beat the standing count, ending the fight.

“I’m a gladiator, you know? I’m just a warrior to the bitter end. I’m just ready to go,” Dubois said after the win. “I want to go to the top level of this game and reach my potential. God bless you all.”

Dubois credited his team, mostly his father, for the victory. “They’ve helped me get through this. I’ve just been on a roller-coaster ride, and this is my time,” he continued. “It’s my redemption story.”

Dubois won the chance to fight Joshua after defeating Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller in Saudi Arabia on the same night that Joshua defeated Otto Wallin in the main event. Joshua’s record fell to 28-4, with losses to Dubois, Andy Ruiz Jr, and current heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk twice.