Anthony Joshua finds himself at a pivotal moment in his career.

Once the dominant force in the heavyweight division, the former two-time world champion is now facing the possibility of another career-defining loss. If he is defeated in his next fight, the calls for his retirement will grow even louder. Many fans and pundits argue that he should bow out gracefully before his legacy takes any further damage. But is it really time for Joshua to hang up his gloves?

Lessons from the Past: The Risk of Becoming Another Chisora There is a growing concern among boxing fans that Joshua could follow the path of fighters like Dereck Chisora, who have continued to battle long past their prime. Chisora, once a top-tier contender, has become known for taking punishment rather than dishing it out. His slowed speech and declining reflexes serve as a cautionary tale. Fans who once cheered for AJ now fear that he, too, could become a shadow of himself, fighting just for the sake of paydays rather than meaningful victories.

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Joshua’s style relies on athleticism and explosiveness, and if those attributes start to fade, he could struggle to remain competitive at the elite level. Taking unnecessary damage in the ring could have lasting consequences, both physically and mentally. If Joshua is unable to defeat top-tier opponents convincingly, should he risk further damage just to prolong his career?

Promoter Eddie Hearn remains hopeful that Tyson Fury will be lured back into the ring for a pair of ‘Battle of Britain’ clashes with Joshua. However, Fury’s recent stance on retirement and his focus on fighting Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title suggest that a match with Joshua is unlikely in the near future. The unpredictability of Fury means that anything is possible, but waiting for a fight that may never happen could be detrimental to Joshua’s career. Even if the fight were to materialize, Joshua’s current form raises questions about his chances. Would he be competitive against a skilled and elusive fighter like Fury? Or would this be another brutal defeat that tarnishes his once-feared reputation?

If Joshua loses his next fight, retirement is one of the two most realistic options. The other is a complete reinvention of his approach to boxing. At 34 years old, he could attempt a late-career resurgence by changing trainers, adopting a new fighting style, or taking on lower-tier opponents to rebuild his confidence. Fighters like Wladimir Klitschko and George Foreman have managed to reinvent themselves and achieve success in the latter stages of their careers. However, Joshua has already switched trainers multiple times, and each transition has led to mixed results. If his latest coaching setup doesn’t bring the results he hopes for, another rebuild might seem futile. Additionally, the heavyweight division is as competitive as ever, with rising stars like Jared Anderson and established champions like Usyk and Fury standing in his way. Joshua must weigh his options carefully. A legacy built on Olympic glory, world championships, and sold-out arenas is at stake. If he can no longer perform at the highest level, stepping away with dignity might be the best decision. But if he believes he still has something left in the tank, then he must prove it in the ring-before it’s too late.

Anthony Joshua burst on to the heavyweight scene in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in 2014.

AJ is one of British boxing’s most iconic figures in the modern era, having achieved it all as an Olympic gold medallist and a two-time heavyweight world champion.

Joshua went on a superb winning streak after turning over as a professional following his success at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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He won his first five fights in short stoppages, and was developing a fearsome reputation as a ferocious puncher.

The biggest opportunity of his career came on the undercard of Carl Froch and George Groves’ famous 2014 rematch.

It broke records as 80,000 packed into Wembley Stadium for the event, with Joshua getting a unique chance to impress on the undercard.

And he did more than impress against journeyman Matt Legg who leapt at the opportunity to take on the sport’s latest rising star.

But it was a devastating barrage of blows that saw his name on the tip of the watching fans tongues.

He first teed off with two shots that were largely blocked by Legg’s covered card.

Although a crunching uppercut found the mark crashing into the skull of the helpless Legg.

It sent him crumpling to the former Olympian’s feet as he fell flat on his back, the latest victim of the crazy power.

The referee waved off the contest with Legg clearly out of his depth, making it the fastest KO of the champion’s career to this date.

It took him just one minute and 56 seconds to halt the contest, and it is no wonder he developed into a real fan favourite globally.

Legg described how the fight came about, being paid £8,000 for the clash with the future king.

He said: “My manager called up and said ‘Anthony Joshua’s team have offered the AJ fight, at Wembley Stadium on the Carl Froch-George Groves rematch. I went ‘100 per cent I’ll take it.’

“I would have done it for free. If they’d have said ‘the thing is you’ve got to do it for nothing’, I’d have went ‘alright’.

“Because it was an opportunity to fight on a massive show. At the time it was the biggest show in Britain, so I said ‘yeah I’ll do it’.

“I think I had about six or seven weeks to train for it. Eight grand, but the bloke before me got four.

“Eight grand but I got some sponsorship money so altogether about 11.”

Joshua continued on his KO streak becoming one of the sport’s biggest stars in the process.

He first won his world title in his 15th consecutive KO, before unifying the division in a famous clash with Wladimir Klitschko.

It was the famous uppercut that sent Klitschko into oblivion in that famous night at the same venue three years later.

Joshua’s KO rampage was eventually halted after 20 fights by Joseph Parker, and he has since faced adversity.

He has lost to Andy Ruiz Jr, Oleksandr Usyk and most recently was brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois.

But he remains one of the most notorious profiles in the sport, and has a few years left to embark on his heavyweight journey before retirement.

The 35-year-old is still eyeing famous nights and a shot at becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion.

Anthony Joshua is now slated for a summer ring return.

Joshua was last in action in September when he was stopped inside five rounds by IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.

All signs then pointed towards ‘AJ’ taking on Tyson Fury in a huge all-British clash after Fury had come up short in his two battles with heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk.

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Those plans were dashed in January when Fury abruptly announced his retirement, leaving Joshua with no clear next opponent.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has now revealed to IFL TV that initial talks are underway for Joshua’s next bout, making the surprise claim that they are speaking about a rematch with Dubois, despite it seeming like ‘DDD’ was all set for an undisputed showdown with Usyk.

“We’re talking to Queensberry about the potential of Dubois-AJ this summer, the rematch. They’re planning Dubois’ next move as well.

“Some brief conversations with His Excellency about AJ against Wilder, the Parker fight could have potential. At this stage why would you roll the dice against Parker for the interim would title when you could roll the dice against Dubois for the full world title?

“I don’t think there’s any difference in those fights really in terms of the toughness of them. I’d go for Dubois every day of the week. If we can’t get Fury, my advice is to fight Dubois for the world title. I think he [AJ] should do it and I think he will beat Dubois.”

As of January, Joshua is ranked number 7 with the IBF. Dubois does not yet have a mandatory challenger. He was set to defend his IBF title against Parker last month but pulled out of the contest on fight week due to a viral infection and replaced by Martin Bakole, with Parker winning that fight by second round knockout.

Dubois has made it clear that he wants a rematch against Usyk with all four heavyweight belts on the line. The Ukrainian is also pushing for the fight, as is Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh.