Anthony Joshua still believes he can become a three-time heavyweight champion despite being knocked out by Daniel Dubois.
Joshua was attempting to win a world title for the third time when he challenged Dubois at Wembley on Saturday night – but he was dropped three times before being stopped in the fifth round. Joshua then insisted he would not retire after suffering his fourth career defeat – and has now said he is confident he can still win back his crown.
“We came up short but we’ve got to look at all the positives,” he said in a video posted to social media. “That’s the mindset and that’s the perspective we’ve got to have; a positive one always. Look at what we’ve achieved in the last 11 years, its phenomenal and i want to thank every single one you who has been riding with me.
“What a rollercoaster journey, but you know what the problem is, it’s far from over yet. We’ve done it once, we’ve done it twice and doing it a third time hasnt been easy bit its something I can achieve, it’s about making the right steps forward, working hard and improving. It’s got to come from the heart more than anything. It can’t come from any external voices or influences; it’s got to come form the heart.
“It’s only been a day but when I sit back and think, i know I’ve got a lot of heart. Thanks for your support, thanks for being on this rollercoaster journey with me. Keep your seatbelt tight because deep, deep, deep down in here I know I’ve got a lot more to bring to the game and long may it continue.”
Joshua has a clause in his contract which would allow him to force a rematch with Dubois. And the champion’s promoter Frank Warren is open to a sequel. “I haven’t got a problem with a rematch. If they want to do it, if the terms are all okay and we’ll sit down and talk about it,” he told talkSPORT. “But it’s all too soon to say who he’s going to be fighting next. He needs to now savour the moment.
He had some stick in the past from a couple of professionals. Fellow professionals which I thought was a liberty. He’s shown now what he’s all about. He gritted his teeth in that fight. He gritted his teeth in the two fights previous to that when he was an underdog in each of them. Went in with three undefeated fighters, one after the other ranked fighters. He’s had four fights this year against and four of those fights are all world rank, including one champion and one two time former world champion. How many fighters have done that?”
