Fierce rival Dillian Whyte insists Anthony Joshua still has plenty to offer in the ring despite his devastating fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Whyte, who has a long-standing rivalry with Joshua dating back to their 2015 British title fight, backed the former two-time world champion to bounce back.
“He’s still got a lot left in the tank, and he’s still a big draw,” Whyte said. “As you can see in the fight, he’s still a big puncher. He had Dubois going before Dubois landed the finishing blow.
“It’s hard to say, but he’s young, he’s strong, and he looks in amazing shape. He’s still got a lot of fight left in him.”
Joshua’s defeat to Dubois at Wembley Stadium saw the younger fighter claim the IBF heavyweight title in emphatic style. However, Whyte cautioned against overreacting to a single defeat, especially in the unpredictable world of heavyweight boxing.
“People put too much emphasis on a defeat in heavyweight boxing,” Whyte added.
“That’s why a lot of fights don’t happen. They don’t get made because people focus too much on win, lose, or draw, instead of enjoying two top guys fighting each other. That wasn’t happening a few years ago.”
While talk of a potential rematch with Dubois has surfaced, Joshua is unlikely to return to action as early as February, when Dubois is slated to make his first title defence.
Trainer Tony Sims, who worked with Joshua in the early stages of his professional career, believes the former champion’s next logical step should be a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, regardless of Fury’s result against Oleksandr Usyk in December.
“I think the younger ones now, leave them alone. Boxing evolves, like anything in life. The young ones come through. Joshua’s 34, going on 35. He’s been a great champion. You’ve got a young, hungry fighter in Daniel Dubois, and he’s taken that title,” Sims said.
“But the obvious fight is still Tyson Fury versus Joshua, whether Tyson wins or loses against Usyk. That’s still a massive fight. Both of them are older now, but it’s a great fight for both of them and one the fans want to see.”
For Joshua, the road back may be long, but voices like Whyte and Sims suggest his career is far from over.
