In the last few years, Anthony Joshua has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career. He went from the glorious days of dominating the heavyweight division to having to rebuild himself after two consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. And just when we thought the Watford native would be a champion again, Daniel Dubois stopped him again, in what many think might be the final nail in the coffin for the former unified heavyweight champion’s title ambitions.

Ever since that shocking defeat almost a year ago, AJ has yet to step into the ring. He is fumbling through countless options, but so far, nothing seems to be turning up. So, last week, when the 35-year-old penned down an emotional message for Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, many thought we had seen the last of him inside the ring. Given the fact that he is seemingly on board to face Jake Paul for shocking cash, the chances didn’t seem that far off that he is ready to retire. And on Friday, Anthony Joshua once again added to those speculations as he uploaded an Instagram story discussing his post-retirement plans with his longtime promoter.

Anthony Joshua’s World Cup aspirations

It seems like even after the squared circle, the former heavyweight champion will stay connected with Eddie Hearn. “@eddiehearn the family has conquered darts, snooker, pool, boxing, fishing, golf, owning a football club & you’ve had a presence in basketball, netball & gymnastics,” he wrote. The 35-year-old is referring to the empire that Matchroom Sport(Hearn family’s company) has built. While we know Eddie Hearn’s triumphs with Matchroom Boxing, his father, Barry Hearn, the family patriarch, built the empire that his son proudly carries forth. Let’s take a brief look.

With Matchroom Sport’s influence already spanning multiple sports, Anthony Joshua has a bold vision: to unearth England’s next football superstar. His plan? “I believe ‘we’ could look at football agency industry and have a strong presence. Imagine we help manage the player who helped @england win the world cup,” Joshua continued. He urged Eddie Hearn to venture into the football agency realm, leveraging their expertise in promotion and management. Eager to kick things off, he wrapped up his message with “Call me tomorrow mate.”

Given his urgency, it seems Anthony Joshua can’t wait to start this new venture. But does that mean he is seriously going to give up boxing? Well, let’s hear it from Hearn himself.

Eddie Hearn gives us the final timeline

After Joshua’s emotional message, where he thanked Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing for staying beside him for 12 years, the online chatter was unstoppable. So, naturally, the Matchroom honcho once again stepped up to clear the situation. In a recent interview with Pro Boxing Fans, Hearn discussed a range of topics, including his star’s recent heartfelt post.

“Not really,” the Brit promoter replied, rejecting claims of an imminent Anthony Joshua retirement. Still, he senses that D-Day is near. “But it’s probably that this is his last year in boxing. Now I said that recently. That doesn’t—that’s not definite, but it’s very likely it could be,” he declared, setting the record straight.

Hearn believes that AJ’s recent post is more of a reflection of their partnership, rather than a retirement announcement. So, for the time being, Anthony Joshua is going nowhere. But at 35 years old, after the severe wear and tear, it won’t be surprising if he hangs up his glove after that one definitive fight. What do you think?