Will Joshua's next defeat be the end of his pro boxing career?

Will Joshua's next defeat be the end of his pro boxing career? 

By Andy Baber

For all the inspirational messages that Anthony Joshua puts out on his many social media channels, it’s been a tough couple of years for the heavyweight in the ring. 

His first foray into the American market ended in disaster as he was floored four times by the unfancied Andy Ruiz Jr at New York’s Madison Square Garden in June 2019.

While he went on to regain his IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles in Saudi Arabia six months later, Ruiz Jr offered very little as AJ controlled the fight from start to finish.

The pandemic then put the boxing calendar on hold before Joshua returned to centre stage against Kubrat Pulev, who he dispatched with a ninth-round knockout.

But he suffered yet another setback in September this year when he was completely outclassed by Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk over 12 rounds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Unsurprisingly, Joshua was quick to activate the rematch clause - but should that encounter end in another defeat, could that spell the end for the two-time world champion?

Where it all started to go wrong

It does not seem long ago that AJ was British boxing’s golden boy. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist progressed nicely through the professional ranks, making mostly easy work of his opponents as he took gradual steps up in class with each fight.

He went on to win the IBF heavyweight title against Charles Martin before defeating Wladimir Klitschko in a thrilling contest to claim the vacant WBA and IBO titles as well.

With his stock continuing to rise under the careful stewardship of promoter Eddie Hearn, the AJ hype train showed no sign of slowing down as he went from strength to strength.

Carlos Takam, Jospeh Parker and Alexander Povetkin were all dispatched without trouble but then came THAT fight against Ruiz Jr - a late replacement for American Jarrell Miller.

In one fell swoop - or more precisely, four knockdowns - the image of Joshua as the ultimate fighting machine was shattered as the bout was waved off in the seventh round.

A seemingly out-of-shape Mexican had made a mockery of AJ and given credence to his doubters and their opinion that he has never belonged among the very elite.

Learning from defeat and bouncing back

In the grand scheme of things, Ruiz Jr proved to be just a blip on Joshua’s record, one that he put right straight away in the rematch with a resounding - if unspectacular - victory.

Having completely underestimated the Mexican in their first fight, AJ boxed clever as he kept Ruiz at distance and jabbed his way to a unanimous points win in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua had gone from hero to zero and back again in a matter of months, once again reigniting the prospect of a massive fight against either Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.

And as he basked in the glory of regaining his titles, AJ also reflected on the manner of his triumph against Ruiz in which he used his guile rather than brawn to get the job done.

His subsequent victory over Pulev was further evidence of this new, smarter Joshua approach, mixing power and patience to take out the Bulgarian in the ninth round.

That win was supposed to pave the way for the much-anticipated Fury fight but instead, after months of on-off talks, Joshua instead had to settle for the dangerous Usyk.

What happened next was much worse than anything Ruiz did to him. Joshua was made to look like a novice as the Ukrainian handed him his second defeat of his professional career.

The rematch and a second shot at redemption now awaits but at 32 years old and with two defeats in his last four fights, the stakes have never been higher for AJ.

Is it now do or die for Joshua’s boxing career?

Ultimately, Joshua remains one of the biggest names in boxing. His name at the top of the bill pretty much guarantees sold-out arenas and significant pay-per-view numbers.

While defeat to Usyk in the rematch would potentially dent those figures, there would still be several huge fights and significant paydays out there for him if that’s what he wants.

Having enjoyed such a meteoric rise in the sport and cultivated a near flawless image, it’s also unlikely that Joshua would want to finish his career on the canvas - literally or figuratively.

There is no doubt that AJ is capable of beating Usyk but he has to get out of his own head, having tried to employ similar tactics as those he used against Ruiz in their second fight.

Joshua is the much bigger man and must fight like it. He will not beat Usyk in a tactical battle but he stands a chance with the raw, destructive punching he made his name with.

In fact, regardless of whether he wins or loses the rematch, there is most definitely still a place for him in the sport as long as his performance commands the respect of the boxing community.

Go out with a whimper and that could be that. But go to war - as he himself has promised - then as shown by Wilder in his last fight with Fury, another defeat doesn’t have to be terminal.

Joshua's pulling power alone is such that he will not be without challengers and even if he has to work his way back up the pecking order, boxing needs him as much as he needs boxing.

Picture Credit: Getty Images