Anthony Joshua makes startling retirement admission after career lows

Emotional Anthony Joshua explains erratic behaviour after defeat

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Anthony Joshua admits he’s looking forward to eventually hanging up his gloves after experiencing the extreme highs and lows of boxing. AJ has been through a difficult run of form as of late in his professional boxing career.

The Watford powerhouse has lost three of his last five, dropping his unified titles on two occasions in the process. Following his most recent defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk, an emotionally warn-out Joshua, had a meltdown as he stormed out of the arena before returning to snatch the mic and deliver an impassioned speech.

Many criticised Joshua for stealing Usyk’s moment but few will understand the daily pressures that AJ is under. Since winning the Olympics in 2012, every decision he has made has been cross-examined by critics.

Joshua has long been pushed as the poster boy of boxing and is expected to live up to those standards every time he steps out of his house. So, it is perhaps no surprise that Joshua is looking forward to stepping out of the limelight.

“My greatest achievement hasn’t been reached yet,” he told Give Me Sport. “It will be when I make it out the other side of the fight game. I personally always thought I would probably cry when boxing is done because I put a lot into it inside and outside of the ring.

“Like you put a lot into your work, you wake up, you sacrifice, you’re tired sometimes; all that type of stuff, we all go through it. Sometimes you have your bad days, but I’ve always tried to be strong, well I am strong.

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“I always felt like why I would be emotional after is because I would have reached the ultimate high because I made it through a very dark, tough industry. I think now it would be making it through healthy and being able to enjoy commercial stuff without the pressures of having to train after, enjoying going back to your family, just chilling. So that will be my major achievement, I’m looking forward to that.”

Joshua is expected to return to the ring in March at the O2 Arena against a currently undisclosed opponent. Dillian Whyte is understood to be the frontrunner after beating Jermaine Franklin last month. Meanwhile, Otto Wallin, Zhang Zhilei, Filip Hrgovic, and Demsey McKean have all been mentioned as potential next opponents.

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