Matthew Macklin feels now is the time for Anthony Joshua to hang up his gloves after his fifth round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.
Joshua was aiming to become a third world champion by claiming the IBF world heavyweight title but instead suffered a devastating setback – the fourth of his career – after he lost.
The 34-year-old was floored four times by Dubois at Wembley Stadium, including once in the first round, and many people asked Joshua to retire afterwards – including Macklin.
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Joshua shared a heartfelt speech after his loss to Daniel Dubois, saying he has ‘a lot more to do’ in the future.
“He is 34 years old. He has had a wonderful career, he has achieved beyond his wildest dreams with money that his grandchildren will live healthy. What is left to prove? to earn when he lost so much,” said Macklin Sky Sports News.
“Boxing is not like football where you can move to a different position or maybe go down to a lower division to still enjoy the game. Boxing is brutal, it’s dangerous, people can lose.
“I don’t think AJ recovered from the first knockdown. I thought he was badly shaken even though he buzzed Dubois right in the back. He would run into a shot going for an uppercut and would be caught wide open and Dubois would catch him over the top with a short right hand.
“Retirement is a very difficult decision in boxing because it depends on you. In football, the decision is generally made for you. You will no longer be selected for the team, so you have to accept it, or you come down the division.
“You go down a division in boxing and start losing to people you wouldn’t have fought before. It’s different, modern gladiators, brutal. There’s also the health factor.
“For me, AJ looked rattled from the first round, so that’s what you need to see.”
Joshua released a video on X on Monday afternoon confirming that his journey in boxing is not over, with Macklin taking to social media, saying: “If he was my brother, I would tell him to forget about boxing for a moment and then call a press conference to announce his retirement and celebrate his career that’s amazing.”
Macklin added Sky Sports News: “It’s been 12 years since he won the gold medal in London, coming down from here.
“Joshua is a proud man who will not feel comfortable watching back. If he chooses to retire, we should not mourn his career. We should celebrate it.”
A change from the moment guard?
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Watch all the angles of Dubois’ big knockout punch that ended the fight with Joshua
Joshua has been eyeing a potential rematch with Dubois as well as an all-English clash with Tyson Fury in the future.
And Macklin is confident that Joshua can get past Dubois if there is another fight.
“There’s definitely a chance he can (win),” said Macklin, a three-time former world title challenger. “There’s a decent chance, but I don’t think it’s likely. He’s a solid favorite going into Friday night. Not many people are picking Dubois. No one is putting their necks on the line to take Dubois.
“Dubois’ confidence and belief will be high and the rematch will be more difficult. It’s a changing of the guard.
“For me, this is Dubois’ (Wladimir) Klitschko moment and it’s a sport, it’s boxing, a hungry young lion dethroning a great king.”
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