Anthony Joshua has broken his silence in his first sighting since he was beaten by Daniel Dubois at Wembley and insists he can come back to become a world champion once again.
In a video on his Instagram account on Monday afternoon, the British heavyweight reiterated that he would not be retiring from professional boxing after he was knocked out in the fifth round by Dubois in front of a record 96,000 spectators at Wembley on Saturday.
Questions have been asked over whether the 34-year-old should hang up the gloves following the brutal knockout, with speculation now arising over whether British boxing fans will ever get to see Joshua and Tyson Fury square off in the ring.
But even amidst the noise, with some calling for Joshua to hang up his gloves, the defiant Brit insisted that he had the heart to come back and challenge at the pinnacle of the heavyweight division once again.
‘We came up short but we have got to look at all the positives and that’s the mindset that we have to have – a positive one, always,’ Joshua said in a video on his Instagram account.
A defiant Anthony Joshua has insisted that he will bounce back from his brutal defeat by Daniel Dubois and will continue to fight
Joshua suffered a devastating knockout during the fifth-round of his bout against Dubois
‘Look at what we’ve achieved in the space of 11 years and I want to thank every one of you that’s been riding with me.
‘What a rollercoaster journey. But you know what the problem is, is that it’s far from over, yet.
‘Doing it once, doing it twice, doing it a third time hasn’t been easy, but I believe it’s something I can achieve.
‘Working hard, taking the right steps forward and it’s got to come from here – more than anything,’ Joshua said, banging his fist on his chest.
‘It can’t come from any external voices or influences, it’s got to come from here [the heart]. It’s only been a day, but I’ve been sitting back thinking “I know I’ve got a lot of this [heart] man.”
Questions have been raised over whether the Brit, 34, should hang up his boxing gloves, but he insisted he would be back
‘So just a video to say, thanks for your support and thanks for coming on this rollercoaster with me.
‘Keep your seatbelts tight, because deep down in here,’ he said beating his chest, ‘I know I’ve got a lot more to bring. British boxing I appreciate you and we rise up together.
‘Let’s go!’
More to follow…