Explaining Anthony Joshua’s Latest Suspension After His Knockout Loss to Dubois

• Anthony Joshua was comprehensively beaten in the IBF title fight against fellow British boxer Daniel Dubois
• The 34-year-old has recently been handed a month-long suspension from the ring following his humiliating defeat
• The reason why the former IBF heavyweight champion has been handed a suspension after his loss has surfaced

Anthony Joshua's quest to reclaim the International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title took a severe blow—quite literally—when he was knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois.

The 34-year-old, who had experienced a mini resurgence with four consecutive wins following his previous defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, aimed to regain one of his lost belts at Wembley Stadium.

Despite being the bookmakers' favourite, Joshua was thoroughly outclassed throughout the fight by the relentless Dubois.

The British-Nigerian fighter got off to a rocky start, being knocked down as early as the first round. He would face four additional knockdowns before a devastating overhand right hook ultimately ended the bout.

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Dubois delivered a stunning performance, leaving the 96,000 fans at Wembley in awe with his dominant display of sweet science.

However, just a week after the fight, the British Boxing Board of Control suspended Joshua from the ring due to his crushing knockout loss to Dubois.

Why Joshua has been hit with a ban

As per what has now become a standard in modern-day boxing, Joshua is now prohibited from stepping into the ring for 28 days, as enforced by the British Boxing Board of Control.

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports emphasises that issuing medical suspensions after knockout (KO) and technical knockout (TKO) defeats is standard procedure for fighters.

This brief ban is unlikely to impede Joshua, especially since his next opponent has yet to be named, and he has expressed his intention to continue boxing.

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Joshua speaks on his future

In the aftermath of his defeat to Dubois, the 34-year-old hinted at his desire to continue in the sport.

As reported by Standard UK, the former heavyweight champion stated:

"And you’re probably asking, 'Do I want to continue fighting?' Of course I want to continue fighting.

"That’s why I said we took a shot at success and came up short. So, what does that mean right now? Are we going to run away? Are we going to live to fight another day? That’s what I am—a warrior."

Joshua also praised Dubois, saying, "We have to give credit to my opponent, Daniel.

"When I sign up for fights, I don’t really dwell on my opponents anymore, but now that it's done, I take my hat off to him and say well done to him and his team."

Adesanya loses stake on Joshua

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Legit.ng earlier reported that UFC fighter, Israel Adesanya, staked $10,000 on his prediction that Joshua would win the fight.

Adesanya backed compatriot Joshua to win the fight between the 10th and 12th rounds.

He shared a photo of him and Joshua and a screenshot of his stake, while his caption is one that invokes a Yoruba deity, Ògún, the god of iron, to settle the beef in the fight.

Source: Legit.ng