Teddy Atlas has drawn on all of his vast boxing knowledge and experience to discuss the potential retirement of Anthony Joshua.
Joshua has had a superb career that has seen him get to the very top – a two-time world champion who once held three of the four major world titles. He beat the likes of Dillian Whyte, Alexander Povetkin, Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Kubrat Pulev on his way.
The Brit eventually lost his belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failed to win them back in a rematch in 2022. In attempt to become a three-time champ, ‘AJ’ was stopped by Daniel Dubois in September last year inside five rounds. The performance led some in the boxing world to suggest that it was time for the fan favourite to hang up the gloves.
Speaking on his own podcast, The Fight, Atlas mused on whether or not ‘AJ’ should retire.
“He doesn’t have to fight again, he’s done a lot of great things. Ricky Hatton said he should retire. I agree with Ricky if it’s just about getting another £150 million. If it is, God bless you, go off into the sunset, people love you, you’ve accomplished a lot of things people won’t accomplish in a lifetime.”
He then gave a reason why Joshua could fight on.
“But if you, like Dubois, like Fury, there is still something you need to feel complete, to walk down that street and feel right, to look in that mirror and like what you’re seeing, if that is gnawing at you, if that is something that keeps you up at night that has to be quelled, that has to be satisfied, that has to be put to rest, if that’s the case, then you have to fight again, for you.”
Joshua has confirmed he will fight on. Though he had hoped for what would be an epic fight with Fury, Fury’s retirement has put an end to that for now, but there still remains big fights out there against the likes of Martin Bakole, a rematch with Dubois or a second fight with Zhilei Zhang after beating him in the Olympics.
