Anthony Joshua Should Retire? 5 Reasons Hrgovic Believes AJ Is Finished

Sports Top Stories
Kenechukwu Onah
October 23, 2026
15

IBF heavyweight champion Filip Hrgovic believes Anthony Joshua should retire after his December showdown with Tyson Fury, questioning the former champion’s confidence, frequent coaching changes and ability to compete safely at the highest level.

Filip Hrgovic has delivered a blunt verdict on Anthony Joshua’s boxing career, saying the former two-time heavyweight world champion should retire after facing Tyson Fury in December.

Hrgovic believes Joshua’s recent performances suggest that he is struggling to compete at the level expected of an elite heavyweight. He also questioned whether another change in coaching could solve the problems he sees.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the Croatian boxer predicted that Fury would win their proposed December 11 showdown, potentially by knockout.

“I think Fury, based on Joshua’s last performance,” Hrgovic said, referring to Joshua’s fight against Kristian Prenga in July.

Here are five concerns behind his assessment.

1. Joshua’s knockdowns against Prenga

Hrgovic’s strongest criticism centres on Joshua’s performance against Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga.

Although Joshua won by second-round knockout, Prenga knocked him down twice in the opening round. Hrgovic was particularly surprised that Joshua appeared vulnerable against an opponent he considered considerably less accomplished.

The IBF champion questioned how Joshua could struggle in that manner after preparing extensively for his return.

However, Joshua recovered from the knockdowns and stopped Prenga in the second round. The result was a victory, even though the performance raised questions about his defensive vulnerability.

2. Too many coaching changes

Hrgovic also criticised Joshua’s frequent changes of trainers.

Since leaving longtime coach Rob McCracken in 2021, Joshua has worked with several trainers, including Robert Garcia and Derrick James. He has also trained with Oleksandr Usyk’s team and is preparing for Fury with former Fury trainer Ben Davison involved in his camp.

Hrgovic believes changing coaches repeatedly may have complicated Joshua’s development rather than solved his problems.

In his view, Joshua needs something more fundamental than another trainer to rediscover his best form.

3. Hrgovic believes Joshua has lost confidence

Beyond coaching, Hrgovic questioned Joshua’s belief in himself.

The Croatian argued that a boxer can work with the best trainers available and still struggle if he lacks confidence.

He suggested Joshua was making his preparations unnecessarily complicated instead of trusting his own abilities.

However, Hrgovic’s comments represent his personal assessment. Neither Joshua’s performance against Prenga nor his coaching history independently establishes that he has lost confidence.

4. Concerns about Joshua’s mental state

Hrgovic also suggested that Joshua was not in the right psychological position to continue competing.

He argued that technical instruction alone could not resolve problems if a fighter was struggling mentally.

Joshua has continued pursuing major fights despite setbacks, including his fifth-round knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

However, Hrgovic did not provide independent evidence of Joshua’s psychological condition. His remarks should therefore be understood as an opinion rather than a confirmed assessment of the British boxer’s mental health.

5. Hrgovic questions the risks of continuing

Hrgovic’s final concern is the danger of remaining in professional boxing when a fighter can no longer compete effectively.

He believes Joshua should consider retirement after the Fury fight, suggesting that the financial rewards of the proposed showdown could be a major motivation for continuing.

Boxing carries serious risks because fighters can sustain significant injuries from repeated punches. Hrgovic argued that competitors eventually reach a point when continuing is no longer worth the danger.

Joshua, however, has not announced plans to retire. His immediate challenge is to prepare for Fury and demonstrate that he can still compete against an elite heavyweight.

Can Joshua prove Hrgovic wrong against Fury?

Hrgovic expects Fury to win the December 11 contest and believes a knockout is possible.

He also suggested that both fighters are past their prime, despite their status as two of boxing’s biggest heavyweight stars.

The proposed showdown gives Joshua an opportunity to challenge that assessment. A strong performance could answer some of the questions raised by his fight against Prenga, although one result would not automatically settle every concern about his long-term future.

For now, Hrgovic has made his position clear: he believes Joshua should retire after the Fury fight.

Whether Joshua agrees will depend on his own ambitions and what he believes he can still achieve in the ring.