Former two-weight world champion David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye has questioned whether Anthony Joshua will continue boxing if he were to lose to Oleksandr Usyk for a second time.
The two heavyweights collide next month in Jeddah. The fight will arrive 11 months on from the night that Usyk beat Joshua convincingly at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to become WBA, IBF and WBO Heavyweight champion.
Having spent so long at or near the top of heavyweight boxing in a third career defeat would raise uncertainty over his future according to Haye who spoke to the Daily Star. However, Joshua recently signed a huge money spinning deal with DAZN to fight exclusively on the streaming service after August 20.
“He has to win this fight to get back on top of the world.”
“If he doesn’t win, I am not sure he wants to be in a sport where he knows he is not the best. He got out hustled by someone he knows he can beat. If he does everything right and Usyk still beats him, I don’t know if there is anything else to do.”
“He is such a winner that I don’t know what he does next.”
Joshua, now 32, is looking to become a three-time heavyweight champion next month. AJ won his first world title in 2016 knocking out Charles Martin in two rounds before unifying the division in 2017 against Wladimir Klitschko. Two years later in Diriyah Joshua reigned supreme once again beating Andy Ruiz on points to regain his three championship belts he stunningly lost to the Mexican.