Anthony Joshua’s decision to avoid an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois comes as no surprise and he may never fight again, says Matthew Macklin.
Dubois retained his IBF world title in devastating fashion with a stunning fifth-round knockout of Joshua at Wembley Stadium in September.
Joshua has decided not to immediately rematch Dubois in February 2025, and the fight date does not fit into next year’s plans as he is expected to bounce back from a crushing loss.
Former European middleweight champion Macklin was not surprised by the decision and said: sky sports: “I just couldn’t see an immediate rematch happening.
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Tyson Fury, Conor McGregor, Oleksandr Usyk and more give their thoughts on Daniel Dubois’ knockout of Anthony Joshua.
“I understood that because Joshua’s pride was hurt, and when his pride was hurt, he wanted to go back and make things right.
“But I always thought it was a fight that wasn’t going to happen once things calmed down. The first fight couldn’t have been more decisive. It was a loss and a bad KO.
“Considering Joshua’s career, a loss like that would take a lot to recover from. At 34 years old, he’s going downhill, not getting better.
“Joshua came into his first Dubois fight off the back of two wins with a new trainer. His confidence couldn’t be higher, but now going into the rematch he’s going to have all kinds of doubts and insecurities.”
‘AJ’s retirement wouldn’t shock me’
Two-time world champion Joshua has had an illustrious career in the ring, but is at a critical time as he plans his next move.
Joshua will consider his future in the sport, Maclean said.
Whoever Joshua decides to fight next could either restart his quest to become a three-time world champion or effectively end a decade of success at the top of the heavyweight division.
Sky Sports pundit MacLean added: “Personally I think Joshua can do that too.”
“Once things settle down, he’ll have time to reflect and think about his next move. “It wouldn’t be shocking at all if AJ went back into the box and didn’t retire. And how much of a career would he have?
“Even if he beats Oleksandr Usyk, the Tyson Fury fight could still happen. It would still be a big fight, but I don’t know what AJ’s interest in boxing is at this point. It’s hard to say.”
‘Parker 2.0 is better than the World Champion version’
With Joshua stepping down, WBO interim champion Joseph Parker has emerged as the frontrunner to face Dubois in his next IBF defense.
The New Zealander has enjoyed a renaissance since suffering a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in September 2022, putting him back in world title contention with impressive wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhang Zhi Lei Zhang.
“It’s going to be a great matchup,” Macklin continued. “Parker is one of the more active fighters who continues to take dangerous fights. After his wins over Wilder and Zhang, he has been in the form of his career.
“I think this Joseph Parker is better than the world champion that AJ beat in 2017.
“He was world champion and undefeated at the time, but the Joseph Parker of today is more experienced and seasoned and has a great relationship with his new trainer, Andy Lee. They are cruising together and this is the best Joseph Parker of all time.”
“It will be a very tough fight for Dubois, but Dubois is also having an impact on his career.
“If you look at his last three wins (Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller and AJ), he’s at the peak of his career. His confidence and form have never been better. It’s a really fascinating fight with Parker.”
Watch Chris Billam-Smith take on Gilberto Ramirez in a unification bout for the WBO and WBA cruiserweight world championships on Sky Sports Mix from 5pm on Saturday.
