Joshua Told to Retire After Brutal KO Loss

Prince Naseem Hamed calls time on former champion's career after shocking loss

Anthony Joshua suffered a devastating loss after a knockout punch by Daniel Dubois at Wembley stadium on Saturday night /

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Anthony Joshua's reign as heavyweight champion came to a shocking end this weekend after a devastating knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.

 The fight featured a series of intense exchanges before Dubois landed a knockout punch in the fifth round. The defeat has sparked debate about Joshua's future in the sport.

Boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed, who retired aged 28, said in a recent interview, “Joshua has had his day in the sun like we all have, he's won amazing world titles, he's defended them, he's earned his dough."

Hamed, who retired at the peak of his career, argued that Joshua has achieved great things in boxing and should leave on a high note, citing his recent string of losses and the toll the it has had on his body.

Hamed went 35 bouts unbeaten before losing to Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera in 2001, the Hall of Fame boxer came back with one more win before hanging up his gloves with a record of 36-1.

Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, has expressed a desire to activate a rematch clause in the fight contract, but it remains unclear if Joshua will accept.

 The heavyweight champion has shown resilience in the past, bouncing back from previous losses.

"AJ should bow out gracefully and that's it, because when he gets hit on the chin it ain't pretty good, ” Tyson Fury said.

It's the fourth defeat in 'AJ's' professional career and the 34-year-old has been told to walk away from the sport.

On a tough night, Joshua was grounded on four occasions before a devastating right hand in the fifth round saw Dubois secure the best win of his career.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion suffered a brutal KO defeat to fellow Brit Dubois at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Joshua poured cold water on any suggestion that he'll be retiring when asked what's next.

"Of course, I want to continue fighting, we took a shot and we came up short, we're going to live another day," AJ stated.

Joshua missed the opportunity to become a three-time heavyweight world champion in front of 96,000 fans at Wembley.

However, the question remains, can he recover from this defeat and regain his former glory?