Anthony Joshua appears to have come to terms with the fact that his boxing career may be over after a complete loss to Daniel Dubois. The 34-year-old was demolished by his rival in five rounds in front of 96,000 spectators at Wembley last month.

Joshua was painted on the canvas many times during a one-sided fight at the national stadium.

His evening ended once and for all after a counterattack by Dubois to defend his IBF heavyweight title.

Immediately after the fight, questions began to arise about Joshua’s future in sports.

His promoter Eddie Hearn gave fans an insight into Joshua’s mood as he spoke to Charlie Parsons on the show A place of stomping podcast.

“I told AJ on the phone, ‘You probably have one to three fights left.’ Then it died down a little bit,” Hearn explained. “He kind of realized, ‘Oh shit, we’re on a straight line. It really is.”

The British Boxing Board of Control handed Joshua a 28-day suspension following his knockout against Dubois. However, Hearn clarified after the fight that the Watford-born star would be aiming for a rematch with his conqueror.

“I think he will exercise the rematch clause, I think that’s obvious,” the Matchroom boss said. “He’s going to need a rest and it’s a threatening fight, this guy is still gaining confidence. He will believe he can hurt Dubois, he will believe he can beat him. But full respect for Daniel Dubois, he deserves it, it was a great performance.

During the post-fight press conference, Hearn added: “We have another fight with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh, and Daniel Dubois is part of that plan, but it could very well be Tyson Fury or another heavyweight.

“I think 2025 will be an fascinating year for Anthony Joshua in every way, but he’ll definitely be back and whether it’s against Daniel Dubois, Tyson Fury, whoever, you’ll have a good time.”

Meanwhile, Joshua was asked about his future after the defeat. He explained: “You’re probably asking, ‘Do I still want to keep fighting?’ Of course I want to keep fighting.

“We must also pay tribute to our opponent, Daniel. Congratulations to him and his team. I also thank my team for the way they prepared for me. There were a few mistakes, but that’s the game. Low margins can cost you top dollar.

Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum has proposed another opponent for Anthony Joshua, but warned that at the highest level “this is the end for him” after an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Daniel Dubois.

The 34-year-old was punched to the floor three times before being knocked out in the fifth round at Wembley, handing Joshua the fourth defeat of his career after back-to-back defeats to Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua was banned from boxing for 28 days after his stoppage defeat, which is standard practice in the sport, with much speculation over who the Briton might face next.

A blockbuster clash with Tyson Fury was likely to hinge on Dubois beating, with promoter Eddie Hearn claiming a rematch clause could be triggered to face Dubois a second time, although this idea has been rejected elsewhere.

Joshua has rejected suggestions he could retire from boxing, while Arum, 92, believes there is another Briton he could face after losing his long-awaited confrontation with Dubois.

Rejecting the notion that Joshua’s defeat was a one-time event for the two-time heavyweight champion, Arum said Fighting Hub TV: “You don’t have an evening off to be kicked out like this. I just think AJ has been through a lot of wars. I think it’s over for both him and (Deontay) Wilder. Maybe they could fight each other, that would be good.

Wilder has lost four of his last five fights, the last coming in June against Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia, and has also lost to Joseph Parker and twice to Fury on either side of a victory over Robert Helenius.

His career is on the line, but most importantly, it’s not over yet. It wasn’t until December that he was promised a fight with Joshua if he defeated Parker.

He lost by unanimous decision and faced Zhang, who had defeated the former WBC heavyweight champion, but Arum believes a clash with Joshua would be very appropriate at this stage of their careers.

Matchroom Sport chairman Hearn did not rule out the possibility, despite the promoter insisting a rematch with Dubois was the “number one priority”.

“I told him (Joshua) yesterday: who knows, you have maybe one to three fights left,” Hearn said. Boxing news. “When I told him that, the phone went hushed, but it was the realization of where we were in his career. These will simply be the biggest fights possible.

“I don’t rule out Wilder or (Joe) Joyce, but I think AJ will want the biggest one. He is a warrior. His number one priority is a rematch with Daniel Dubois.”

Former world boxing champion Tony Bellew has called the decision to sanction Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s upcoming fight as a professional fight a “disgrace.” The couple, who are thirty years apart in age, will face each other in Texas later this year in what promises to be a controversial spectacle.

The validity of the event as a competition has long been a topic of debate in the combat sports community, not least because Tyson will return to the ring after a nearly 20-year absence. His last official fight was a defeat against Kevin McBride in 2005, after which “Iron Mike” hung up his gloves.

His opponent, internet celebrity-turned-fighter Paul, has an 11-fight professional career, and the upcoming fight will undoubtedly be the most significant fight the 27-year-old has been involved in to date. Adding to the discourse about the viability of a future fight will be the fact that the event was pushed back from the summer to November after Tyson suffered a medical episode during a flight in May.

With a up-to-date November 15 date on the calendar for the Netflix-backed spectacle, in July the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation made the decision to sanction the fight as a professional heavyweight bout. The fight will consist of a maximum of eight two-minute rounds, with knockouts allowed and the wearing of headgear prohibited.

Now former WBC cruiserweight titleholder Bellew has commented on the move, especially as the result is set to be included in each fighter’s official records. In an exclusive interview with Express Casino, he said: “It’s a disgrace and I can’t believe Jake Paul insisted on it. It’s a disgrace.

“It’s a disgrace to boxing. He’s not a boxer. And it’s a disgrace that they insisted that it go on his professional record,” he continued. “Why isn’t an exhibition enough? Why does he need it in his professional career? Because it is […] pot. And he’s an idiot. He is a hungry ego […].

“I never called Jake Paul that. Man, you’re trying to put your name among the greats of the sport. Michael Spinks, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Jake Paul? It’s disgusting and I can’t believe the committee signed up to this.”

He continued: “I have no problem with them having an exhibition and Mike should make a fortune. I hope he doesn’t get hurt. You know, I really pray for anyone or anything to be protected and well, but to talk about my career, it just makes me furious.”

Ultimately, the “Bomber’s” primary concern is the safety of 58-year-old Tyson, especially given his health issues earlier in the year. The retired Liverpool player admitted he wasn’t sure how the fight would go, but declined to give his consent when it came to the prospect of the two fighters clashing in November.

Bellew added: “I just hope Mike stays protected. I don’t know what will happen. I don’t know what will happen in this freak show. “But I hope Mike’s okay because he wasn’t feeling well before long and this guy still wants to fight him.”