Anthony Joshua has hinted that he will retire from boxing before the end of the year. The 35-year-old has not returned to the ring since his fifth-round knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley last September.
Following that defeat, Joshua underwent elbow surgery and currently has no confirmed opponent. While promoter Eddie Hearn has reportedly held talks about a potential bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, nothing has been finalised. Fans continue to hope for a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, who announced his own retirement in January after losing a rematch to Oleksandr Usyk.
On Friday night, Joshua took to Instagram to thank Matchroom Boxing, the promotional outfit that has represented him since his professional debut in 2013. In the same post, he indicated that his career is nearing its end, stating that his “last punch” will be thrown this year.
‘Shout to Matchroom Boxing for all you have done for me and continue to do for me,’ Joshua wrote.
‘Long may you reign supreme and keep giving fighters opportunities to become champions and make boxing great. 12 years ago, I signed with you and 12 years later I will throw my last punch with you.
‘Royalty and loyalty is a perfect match for the great good. A toast to another 100 years of Matchroom Boxing. And to finish on this… If I could start from scratch, I wouldn’t change shit.’
