British professional boxer of Nigerian descent, Anthony Joshua has disclosed that he is “coming towards the end of my career” and has hinted that he will have a maximum of “five years left” in the sport before retiring.
The 31-year-old world heavyweight champion could be approaching the most significant period of his career, with ongoing negotiations about two massive unification fights against Tyson Fury in 2021.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Joshua said “This isn’t the start of my career. I’m coming towards the end of my career”.
“I’m not someone who lives in the moment and thinks that everything is just like for now. I’m always planning ahead so I’m coming towards the end of my career.
“Five years left and that’s basically an Olympic cycle. I’ve got an Olympic cycle and a little bit more left, so when you see the next Olympics happen is when I’ll be coming to the end of my career and the next generation will be coming through.”
Remarking on his would-be rival, Joshua said “Fury has been professional much longer than me. He should be looking to retire soon”.
“If he wants to cement his legacy, I’m here and ready. I’ve built myself into this position.”
Joshua is a two-time unified heavyweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles since December 2019 and previously between 2016 and June 2019. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles from 2015 to 2016.
