A 28-day boxing suspension has been given to former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua following his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois last Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium. This was issued by the British Boxing Board of Control. According to the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, it is a standard procedure for fighters who suffer TKO or KO losses.
On Sunday, Mirror UK stated in a post: “AJ has been banned for just under a month by the British Boxing Board of Control. According to the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, it is not unusual for a fighter to receive a medical suspension after suffering a TKO or KO loss.”
The 34-year-old Joshua suffered a difficult night in the ring and fell to the canvas three times before Dubois, known as ‘DDD’, gave the last blow in the fifth round with a powerful right hand. This loss signifies the fourth defeat of Joshua’s career, and is coming after his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, and defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021, and 2022, consecutively.
Although the suspension may not likely affect Joshua’s next plans, with no future fights slated, it has raised concerns about his future in boxing. Carl Froch, a former boxer, gave his opinion about Joshua’s performance and future in the sport.
In a statement on his YouTube channel, Froch stated: “Anthony Joshua got absolutely battered from pillar to post. He lacked ambition, he lacked self-belief and confidence. His powers of recovery are terrible, he looked exhausted.”
Additionally, he questioned Joshua’s desire to continue boxing, saying: “I question Anthony Joshua’s desire to be in that boxing ring anymore. I don’t think AJ wants it anymore, he shouldn’t be boxing. That performance was weak.”
However, Joshua maintained his firm determination to regain the world title insisting that there’s no retirement plan for him anytime soon.
Joshua also thanked his fans in a video statement posted on his X page, saying, “We came up short, but look, we have to focus on all the positives. That’s the mindset, and that’s the perspective we need to adopt — a positive one.
“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 who has been riding with me. What a rollercoaster journey, but you know what? The problem is that it’s far from over yet.”