By The Guardian (Sports) | Created at 2024-09-23 22:24:00 | Updated at 2024-09-30 07:21:08
6 days ago
Anthony Joshua insists his career is “far from over” following his fifth-round knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Joshua was aiming to become a three-time world champion by claiming the IBF world heavyweight title but instead suffered a damaging setback – the fourth of his career – after he was knocked out in front of a record-breaking official attendance of 98,128.
The 34-year-old was floored four times by Dubois, including once in the first round, and many people called for Joshua to retire afterwards. But Joshua released a video on X on Monday afternoon insisting his journey in boxing is not over yet, with a potential rematch with Dubois as well as another all-British clash with Tyson Fury options in the future.
He said: “We came up short but we have got to look at the positives and that’s the perspective we have to have: a positive one, always. Look at what we’ve achieved in the space of 11 years, it’s phenomenal and I want to thank every single one of you that’s been riding with me.
“What a rollercoaster journey, but do you know what the problem is? It is far from over yet. We’ve done it once, we’ve done it twice, doing it a third time hasn’t been easy but I believe it is something I can achieve. It’s about making the right steps forward, working hard, improving and it has to come from here [gestures to his heart] more than anything.
“It’s only been a day but I know when I sit back I know I’ve got a lot of this [heart]. Thanks for your support, thanks for being on this rollercoaster journey with me. Keep your seatbelts tight because deep down in here I know we have a lot more to bring to this game. British boxing I appreciate you and let’s rise up together, let’s go.”
