Boxing star Anthony Joshua was looking to redeem himself in his bout against Daniel DuBois on September 21. Many boxing fans had deemed this a must-win for the Australian fighter. He suffered back-to-back losses in 2022. He won his last four fights but against murky competition in Francis Ngannou, Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius, and Jermaine Franklin Jr.
Joshua faced much fiercer competition from the British-born Dubois. He came into the bout boasting a record of 21-2 with 21 knockouts. And unfortunately for Joshua, he just got added to the list. Anthony was knocked out in the fifth round of the bout.
Fans Urge Anthony Joshua to Retire After Latest Fight
With Joshua suffering yet another loss against formidable competition, some fans were urging him to retire.
"Joshua had a great career but retirement is the best move You were a great warrior and you did a lot and made a lot of money. Cheers," boxing star Ryan Garcia said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Anthony Joshua changed British boxing... he made mega fight nights with 90k fans at Wembley seem like normality. It wasn't. It never was. AJ was brilliant, but now he needs to retire" another user said.
"Anthony Joshua ended up on his stomach with his knee in the air. Oga, you had an amazing career. It's okay to retire," another user said.
"I have no desire to see AJ in a ring again. He's finished. Fully cooked Retire, enjoy the millions and the legacy you've left behind," another said.
Deontay Wilder Puts Joshua's Titles Under Microscope
Joshua's career had been under a microscope for a long time. Many accused him of fighting low-caliber competition in order to prop up his record. For a long time, fans salivated at the potential bout between Joshua and heavyweight Deontay Wilder. But that fight never came to fruition and many blamed Joshua for that.
In 2018, during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, Wilder accused Joshua of holding fake titles.
"He looks terrible. He's going to fight some other guy, and no one gives a fu*k," Wilder said.
"And it's your titles, whatever titles you got, they're bullsh*t! They don't mean anything! Everybody knows this is where the real title is! It's a wrap now."