Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has been banned from boxing for at least 28 days.
This is coming after Anthony Joshua was defeated by a lowly rated Briton heavyweight boxer, Daniel Dubois on September 21.
Recall that on the said date, Dubois knocked out Anthony Joshua in the fifth round after the 27-year-old Briton had knocked down AJ four times in front of a massive crowd of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium in London.
As a result of this victory, Dubois successfully defended his IBF heavyweight title, while Anthony Joshua’s future was subjected to uncertainty.
By standard procedure, the British Boxing Board of Control has enforced a 28-day suspension for Joshua, preventing him from entering the ring in the said period.
This action is in line with the regulations of the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, which require fighters to be issued medical suspensions following knockouts (KO) and technical knockouts (TKO).
This means that Anthony Joshua can be permitted to box from November 2024 as he had insisted that he is not thinking of retiring from the sport despite suffering four defeats in the last three years.
After his humiliating defeat to Dubois, Anthony Joshua said, “You’re probably asking if I still want to consider fighting. Of course, I want to continue fighting.
“We took a shot at success and we came up short. What does that mean now? That we’re going to run away? We’re going to live to fight another day. And that’s what I am – I’m a warrior. Always walk with your head high. We rolled the dice for the third time. There have been 13 world title fights; not every one of them has been successful, but everyone has been fun.
“There were a few mistakes in there but that’s the name of the game. Fine margins will cost you at the top level. Also, before I finish, we have to give credit to our opponent, Daniel. When I sign up to fight opponents, I don’t really like them in my head any more. But now that it’s done, I take my hat off to him and say well done.”
