Joe Joyce tried to play down his concerns after appearing to freeze while speaking during the Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois fight at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.

The 39-year-old, who has made few public appearances since his shock defeat to Derek Chisora ​​in July, spoke to TNT Sports about his future.

Joyce started off with some enthusiasm, saying, “Well, let’s fight, man, I need to get back in the gym and I’m on my way, man. I’m on my way…”

However, he then seemed to pause and looked confused, prompting his interviewer to break the awkward silence by saying, “Joe, it’s a pleasure,” and move on.

Fans were quick to react with concern, with @HeartBreak_J posting online: “Joe Joyce froze on air,” along with a melancholy emoji. People like @ChanChanChanZZZ went further, suggesting it was an all-too-familiar trend for the former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) interim titleholder.

“I recently watched a few miniature interviews with Joe Joyce,” he wrote. “And I have to say I am really concerned about his health, as he clearly has difficulty expressing himself.”

Instagram influencer @big_daddy_gman asked: “This isn’t even humorous, but it is humorous at the same time. What happened here, man?”

That question prompted Joyce, who has lost three of his last four professional fights following losses to Zhilei Zhang last year, to answer.

Sharing a clip of the interview on his Instagram Story, he said: “I SHOULD HAVE PREPARED WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY,” but that explanation will be deemed by fans as far from comprehensive.

Joyce was unbeaten in his first 15 professional fights before being stopped by Chinese star Zhang in February last year. Four months later he was knocked out in the third round of their rematch, a loss that seemed to end his world title hopes.

But after beating Kash Ali, his fight with Chisora ​​in May was widely seen as a last chance to revive his career. Instead, it was his fellow veteran who was awarded an all-British fight, with the judges scoring it 97-92, 96-94, 96-94 in his favour.

Following the loss, Joyce’s manager, Adam Morallee, told Boxing Social that the 2016 Olympic silver medalist now faces a critical career decision. “It was a very, very tough, brutal fight for both of them,” he said.

“I think it will be a really tough task for Joe to find his way back to the top now, but given his career and eventual retirement, it is a question for him.

“There will always be fights for Joe Joyce, there will always be fights for someone who fights like that – who takes one to give another, there will always be.”

Simon Jordan believes Anthony Joshua should not be given the “right” to fight Daniel Dubois again following his fifth-round defeat on Saturday.

Joshua’s bid to become a three-time world heavyweight champion was spectacularly foiled as Dubois knocked him down four times before finally knocking him out when “AJ” went for a desperate final push.

The 34-year-old made a statement to the media in press conference after the fightconfirming that he will not retire and reiterated this position in video posted on social media on Monday.

Watford footballer promoter, Eddie Hearn revealed that his protégé is set to get an immediate rematch, although outspoken Jordan pundit believes it is undeserved.

“The whole evening was a homecoming for Anthony Joshua,” he said talkSPORT.

“That’s what I didn’t like.

“And the fact that he can go to a press conference where he can present his point of view to everyone and everyone applauds him, I also think is complete nonsense.

“That’s why I don’t think he has the right to a rematch.

“No challenger in any fight would get a rematch clause, the champion would get a rematch clause.”

Former world heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury watched his long-time rival from the ring and vented his frustration at the prospect of losing his £150 million winnings following Joshua’s defeat.

However, Hearn has given fresh hope that the highly anticipated British clash could still happen, revealing that he has advised ‘AJ’ to await the outcome of the December 21 rematch between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk before making a decision on his future.

“My advice is: do nothing until December 21st – Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury rematch,” Hearn said Sky Sports.

“If Fury loses, it could mean a earnest fight with Joshua, if Fury wins, it could mean a voluntary defense against Joshua.

“It’s still the most essential fight in the division, by far.”

Anthony Joshua has posted a heartfelt message to his supporters addressing his stance on retirement. Joshua was outboxed by a stunning performance from Daniel Dubois as the 34-year-old suffered a knockout defeat in his IBF heavyweight title fight at the All-British event.

Although Dubois entered the fight as the defending IBF champion, the main motive for the fight was Joshua’s return from defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, who was looking to become world champion for the third time in his career.

However, the London 2012 Olympic gold medal winner was truly crushed by his former Great Britain team-mate, who knocked him down four times before he was devastatingly beaten with a right hook to the chin in the fifth round.

Never before in his professional career had Joshua been completely dismantled in the ring, and the incredible nature of the knockout left many fans fearing Joshua’s best days were behind him. But AJ spoke out after the defeat, addressing calls for him to hang up the gloves.

“We fell miniature, but we have to look at the positives. That’s the attitude and perspective we have to have – positive, always,” Joshua said in a video posted on his social media pages.

“Look what we’ve accomplished in 11 years, it’s phenomenal. I want to thank every single one of you who’s been on this rollercoaster ride with me. But you know what the problem is? It’s not over yet.

“We did it once, we did it twice, doing it a third time wasn’t straightforward. But I believe it’s something I can achieve. It’s about taking the right steps forward, working strenuous and improving.”

He added: “It has to come from here (heart) more than anything else. It can’t come from any outside voices or influences, it has to come from here (heart). It’s only been a day, but when I sit down and think about it, I know I have a lot of it (heart).

“Thank you for all your support, thank you for being with me on this up and down journey. Hold on to your seatbelts because deep, deep, deep down I know we have so much more to give, so much more to give to the game and long may that continue. British boxing, I appreciate you. We stand together, let’s go!”

DON’T MISS…

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn stated in the ring after the fight that he was confident Joshua would return to face Dubois in a rematch. The Matchroom Boxing boss said: “I’m sure he’ll exercise his rematch clause. I think that’s a certainty.”

He added: “But he will need rest, and it’s a threatening fight. This guy [Dubois] He’s still gaining confidence, but he’s going to believe he can hurt Dubois. He’s going to believe he can beat him. But full credit to Daniel Dubois, he deserves all the credit tonight, that was a great performance from Daniel.”

However, Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren is potentially considering a second fight with Usyk, as he plans a rematch between the Usyk winner and Tyson Fury in December, who will face “Dynamite.”

“Oleksandr Usyk is considered the best heavyweight in the world right now and he (Dubois) had the toughest fight against him at the time, there’s no doubt about it,” Warren said.

“He hurt him” [during their first fight in 2023]I would like to see him fight him now – but of course he has to fight Tyson [Fury] first and I think Tyson will take his skin.