IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has told former rival Anthony Joshua he should retire from professional boxing following their explosive encounter at Wembley Stadium last year.

Dubois made the first defence of his IBF World Title against Joshua, knocking his countryman out in the fifth round of their showdown at Wembley Stadium in London, handing the two-time unified champion the fourth defeat of his career.

Speaking to Seconds Out months after the fight, Dubois was blunt in his assessment of Joshua’s future prospects, saying, “Does he want some more? He should retire in my opinion.”

The devastating knockout defeat has sparked widespread debate about whether the 35-year-old from Watford should call time on his professional career, which began in 2013 just months after he captured Olympic gold at the London Games in 2012.

Despite the calls for retirement from boxing fans, pundits, and now his conqueror, Joshua appears determined to fight on and is edging closer to a return to the ring with talks underway for a two-fight deal that could begin later this year in Saudi Arabia.

The former heavyweight champion has been out of action in 2024 following elbow surgery, which was successfully completed in May. However, he has been actively planning his comeback behind the scenes.

Earlier this month, Joshua revealed in an interview with ESPN Mexico that he was targeting a December return, dependent on his recovery. Momentum is now building around a potential deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season to stage his comeback.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed current discussions involve a two-fight plan, telling Boxing Scene, “We are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

“Turki Alalshikh said that on the night of Canelo’s fight on May 3, when we had our meeting. And that’s the plan really, we want to box sometime this year, October, November, December.”

One option for Joshua could be a rematch against Dubois, who is currently in preparations for a second encounter with former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium on July 19. However, should Dubois beat Usyk, he will be ordered to face a mandatory challenger, with Joseph Parker first in line. Whether he would drop a belt to make a lucrative rematch with Joshua remains to be seen.

At the top of Joshua’s hit list is Tyson Fury, but ‘The Gypsy King’ has been in retirement since January and is adamant he will not be fighting again.

In a recent video message, Fury firmly stated his retirement stance, saying, “I hear a lot of talk about the Gypsy King returning to boxing and I ask this question: for what?

“What would I return for? I’m in no rush at all to come back to boxing and get my face punched in. I am retired and I am staying retired.”

Hearn confirmed that Joshua’s camp is keeping a watchful eye on the outcome of Dubois versus Usyk, as well as the uncertain future of Fury.

“We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk, we’ll see what happens with Fury,” Hearn said.

“And if we don’t fight those guys, we’ll fight someone else, and then maybe follow one of those guys next year.”

Despite the setback against Dubois, Joshua’s financial standing remains robust. The British-Nigerian boxing star has emerged richer than England football captain Harry Kane and heavyweight rival Tyson Fury, with his net worth soaring to €232m according to the newly published Sunday Times Rich List.