Anthony Joshua will never again be seen as the near-perfect fighting machine who knocked out 21 of his first 22 professional opponents, including future Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko in 2017.
The 2012 Olympic champion’s stunning seventh-round knockout loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and back-to-back setbacks against former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and last year damaged his reputation beyond complete repair.
He’s only 33, though. And he remains a significant draw, particularly in his native United Kingdom. That means he almost certainly has more big fights in his future, which will give him the opportunity to redeem himself in what he says is the final phase of his career.
The most significant opportunity for him would be a shot at unbeaten titleholder Tyson Fury, assuming Joshua beats Jermaine Franklin on Saturday in London (DAZN).
If Joshua meets Fury in the ring and loses – particularly if he loses badly – that could be the end of his career as an elite fighter. If he gets that opportunity and wins? Well, that could significantly change the way he’s perceived.
He’ll always be the guy who went down four times and essentially quit in his first fight with Ruiz and lost two decisions to the talented, but much smaller Usyk. However, if he beats Fury, he’ll also be seen as the guy who persevered and recorded the biggest victory in his career after many had written him off.
Fans and pundits alike love a great comeback story, and this one would be compelling.
Of course, Joshua would have to get a fight with Fury. Can he? I think so. The matchup has always been attractive to the colorful champion, who knows the all-British showdown could generate a fortune for all parties involved.
In fact, they were expected to meet in December but talks broke down and Fury ended up fighting Derek Chisora instead. Nevertheless, the fact Fury entered serious negotiations indicates he wants the fight.
And the chances of it happening got better after a projected title-unification bout between Fury and Usyk fell apart over the terms of a rematch clause. Fury will be looking for a big fight. And no fight, at least in the U.K., is bigger than Fury vs. Joshua.
A bigger question: Can Joshua beat Fury? Probably not.
Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) is bigger, a better boxer and arguably mentally tougher than Joshua. Fury got up from four knockdowns to stop Deontay Wilder twice and draw with him once, which contrasts sharply with Joshua’s performance in his first fight with Ruiz.
Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) has his strengths, though. He got up from a knockdown to stop Klitschko, he outpointed Ruiz in their rematch (although he fought carefully) and he performed better in his second fight with Usyk than he did in the original.
And while he’s not as skillful or athletic as Fury is, he’s a well-schooled, experienced boxer who punches as hard as almost anyone in the sport. Twenty-two knockouts in 24 victories speak loudly. Yes, he would have a chance to have his hand raised against Fury.
If that happens, he would be a three-time titleholder with more options than ever. Imagine Joshua defeating Fury and then doing the same against Wilder, who also has expressed an interest in facing him. Then who knows? Maybe the third time would be the charm against Usyk.
Is such a string of victories over the top big men in the sport likely? Probably not. At the same time, good fighters who are determined to realize what they see as their destiny sometimes surprise us.
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