The Anthony Joshua predicament: Exploring the Brit's options after loss to Daniel Dubois
Anthony Joshua is in an unenviable position. He is coming off a brutal knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, prior to which he was knocked down three or four times depending on who is asked. It was the most lopsided loss of his career, and it took place in a title fight for the IBF heavyweight title.
With his 35th birthday just three weeks away, he is in the twilight of his career and won't get any better than he already is, especially with the amount of punishment he's endured over the years. A win over Dubois would have earned him a high-profile matchup with Tyson Fury.
Whether 'The Gypsy King' wins or loses his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk didn't matter to 'AJ' as he promised to still fight him. Unfortunately, it is difficult seeing Fury extend him the same courtesy now that he's lost to Dubois. So, where does Joshua go from here?
Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder
At one point, Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder was the most talked-about fight in heavyweight boxing. When both men were at the peak of their powers, they were undefeated knockout artists with world championship gold. Various attempts were made to book the matchup, but they always fell through.
Nevertheless, the hype surrounding it stayed at a fever-pitch. It was the heavyweight version of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao. Unfortunately, it lost some of its luster when 'AJ' suffered a stunning upset loss to, of all people, Andy Ruiz Jr.
However, not long afterward, 'The Bronze Bomber' was handed a loss by Tyson Fury. Now, years later, both men are on a serious decline. First, they've aged tremendously, and haven't been on the best runs of form against elite-level competition, especially Wilder. So why would Joshua fight him?
As things currently stand, he may have no choice. Who else can Joshua fight at this point that will generate excitement and net him the kind of purse he will demand? The Fury bout is at risk, and there are no available high-profile MMA imports he can use in a crossover bout like Francis Ngannou.
There was talk of a rematch with Dubois, but what else is there? After back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, he will almost certainly never again share the ring with the Ukrainian great. While there are certainly other heavyweights he could face, they're largely no-name fighters known only to hardcore fans.
His only choice is Wilder. They're both on the decline, and Joshua's only wins have been over unremarkable foes like Jermaine Franklin and Otto Wallin, a 39-year old Robert Helenius, and a woefully inexperienced boxer in ex-UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou.
The matchup is no longer what it once was, but a fight with Wilder is the only remaining high-profile and big money boxing match for Joshua.
Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury
The only other option for Anthony Joshua is to face Tyson Fury, which is a matchup that Turki Alalshikh has expressed serious interest in booking. Unfortunately, 'AJ's' latest loss to Daniel Dubois will only hurt the possibility of the bout taking place, despite Fury claiming not to care about the outcome.
As things stand, 'The Gypsy King' is set to rematch Oleksandr Usyk for the unified heavyweight title in December. For a fight with Joshua to materialize, Fury must lose the rematch, which would render a bout between him and his fellow countryman more compelling.
"Listen, that's cost me $150,000,000, the silly c**t. Of course it has, he's f***ed. Turki [Alalshikh], you better pay me now."
Check out Tyson Fury's reaction to Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois:
After all, the boxing fandom would undoubtedly have much to say about Joshua receiving a title shot for the division's unified title after just losing his IBF title fight. Moreover, a Fury win would lead to a trilogy bout with Usyk being prioritized, pushing a possible Joshua bout to the background.
Usyk has defeated all three men in Joshua, Fury, and Dubois, so a loss would see him earn a rematch, as there would certainly be a rematch clause in the contract, just as there was in his initial bout with Fury. The only hope for Joshua to ever share the ring with Fury is for 'The Gypsy King' to be defeated for good.
While it's possible that Fury will lose to Usyk, it is also likely that the former will retire afterward rather than chase a meaningless matchup.