A new report claims that Anthony Joshua has already made a decision on his future.
Following his knockout victory over Jake Paul, many wondered if the fight would serve as a launchpad for another run at the heavyweight title.
After defeating Paul, there were immediate questions about what Joshua’s next steps would be, especially given the attention around their Netflix main event.
Just 10 days later, while visiting Nigeria to celebrate the New Year, ‘AJ’ was involved in a brutal car accident.
The 36-year-old has not yet publicly addressed how this will affect his future plans. However, it is being reported that he has already made a definitive career decision.
Anthony Joshua’s uncle says he has told his family about retirement decision
Joshua broke his silence on Sunday, 4 January, posting on social media for the first time since the accident.
On that same day, he attended the funerals of his two friends, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, who had lost their lives in the crash near Lagos.
Despite this, reports from Mirror Fighting say that Joshua has not yet decided if he’ll keep fighting without his friends and team members beside him.
But according to his uncle Adedamola Joshua, ‘AJ’ has already chosen to retire after 33 professional fights.
On Monday, he said to The PUNCH: “The major thing there is that he has retired from boxing.
“That is one thing that makes us glad because each time he’s fighting in the ring, we are always carried away emotionally.
“Each time he’s knocked down, it is just like the heart is coming out of our chest. All these emotional feelings whenever he’s fighting, it’s too much trauma for us also. Now that he has said that he’s leaving while the ovation is highest, we are happy.”
The PUNCH also reported that Adedamola confirmed Joshua had shared this news with his family.
Anthony Joshua’s legacy remains intact despite an early exit
It was looking like Joshua and Tyson Fury might finally share the ring in 2026, after years of trading words and missed opportunities.
It is the one fight that always seemed to make sense for both men, a final chapter to two brilliant careers that never quite crossed paths in the ring.
If this is where Joshua decides to call it a day, no one could blame him. It would be a decision rooted in something far bigger than sport.
A former two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medallist, his impact on British boxing goes beyond titles. He played a huge role in bringing mainstream attention back to the sport across the UK.
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