Anthony Joshua’s decision to avoid an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois is not a surprise and he might not fight again, says Matthew Macklin.
Dubois retained his IBF world title in devastating fashion at Wembley Stadium in September with a stunning fifth-round knockout of Joshua.
Joshua has chosen not to immediately rematch Dubois in February 2025, with the fight date not fitting into his plans for next year as he looks to return from a crushing loss.
Former European middleweight champion Macklin was not surprised by the decision, telling Sky Sports: “I just couldn’t see the immediate rematch happening.
“I understood the talk of it because, for Joshua, his pride was hurting, and when your pride is hurting, you just want to get back in there to rectify the situation.
“But I always thought once the dust had settled, it was a fight that wouldn’t happen. The first fight couldn’t have been more conclusive, it was a defeat and a bad knockout.
“Given where Joshua is in his career, a loss like that will take a lot to come back from. At 34 years of age, you don’t get better, it goes downhill from here.
“Joshua bounced into the first Dubois fight on the back of two wins with his new trainer, his confidence couldn’t have been higher, but now going into a rematch he will have all sorts of doubts and insecurities.”
‘AJ retirement wouldn’t shock me’
Two-time world champion Joshua has had an illustrious career in the ring but faces a defining period as he plots his next move.
Joshua will be considering his future in the sport, says Macklin
Who Joshua decides to fight next could either reignite his quest to be crowned three-time world champion or effectively end his decade of success at the top of the heavyweight division.
“Personally, I think that could be that for Joshua anyway,” Sky Sports expert Macklin added.
“When the dust settles, he has time to reflect and thinks about his next move, it wouldn’t shock me at all if AJ doesn’t box again and retires. And what a career he would have had.
“The Tyson Fury fight could still happen if he were to beat Oleksandr Usyk. It would still be a huge fight, but I just don’t know what AJ’s appetite for boxing is at this point, it’s hard to say.”
‘Parker 2.0 better than world champion version’
With Joshua stepping aside, WBO interim champion Joseph Parker has emerged as the frontrunner to take on Dubois in his next IBF defence.
The New Zealander has enjoyed a renaissance since his stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in September 2022, propelling himself back into world title contention with impressive wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.
“It would be a brilliant match-up,” Macklin continued. “Parker is one of those fighters who has stayed active, taken one risky fight after another. After his win against Wilder and then Zhang, he’s in the form of his career.
“I think this Joseph Parker is better than the world champion that AJ beat in 2017.
“He was world champion and undefeated then, but the Joseph Parker of today is more experienced, he’s seasoned, he has a great relationship with his new trainer Andy Lee. They are on a roll together and this is the best Joseph Parker there has ever been.
“It will be a very tough fight for Dubois, but Dubois is in the form of his career too.
“If you look at his last three wins – Filip Hrgovic, Jarrell Miller and AJ – he’s in the peak of his career, his confidence and form has never been better. It’s a really fascinating fight against Parker.”
Watch Chris Billam-Smith take on Gilberto Ramirez in a unification of the WBO and WBA cruiserweight world championships on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Mix from 5pm.
