Heavyweight world champion Filip Hrgovic has delivered a brutal verdict on Anthony Joshua’s career, insisting the former two-time world champion should retire from boxing.
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, Hrgovic admitted he felt sorry for Joshua after his recent performances and warned that continuing to fight could put the British star’s health at risk, according Boxing News report.
Joshua suffered a devastating defeat to Daniel Dubois in 2024 while challenging for the IBF heavyweight title. He returned to the ring last December, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
However, his subsequent outing proved more difficult than expected. Joshua was knocked down twice by Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in July before recovering to secure a second-round knockout victory.
The setbacks have raised fresh questions about Joshua’s future as he prepares for a highly anticipated showdown with British rival Tyson Fury.
Joshua has since reunited with former trainer Ben Davison in a bid to rebuild his career and silence his critics.
But Hrgovic believes the damage has already been done and that Joshua should walk away from the sport.
“He is done. He shouldn’t be fighting anymore, but he wants to do one more fight,” Hrgovic said.
“I think he is going to make a huge amount of money, and he is doing it because of that, but I think he shouldn’t be fighting anymore.”
The Croatian heavyweight also expressed shock at Joshua’s performance against Prenga, particularly after hearing how seriously the Briton had prepared for the contest.
“When I saw that last fight, I felt sorry for him because before the fight he said that he shut all of his businesses to focus on boxing.
“He changed his coach for the 20th time. He started to work with Team Usyk, he did everything that he could do, and then he comes to the fight with a journeyman and he goes down in 10 seconds!
“I couldn’t believe it. I felt sorry for him, and I think he shouldn’t be fighting anymore. Based on how he looked in his last fight, it was a disaster. He is just not there, man.”
Hrgovic stressed that boxing is a particularly dangerous sport and warned Joshua against continuing if he can no longer compete at the highest level.
“It is not basketball, it is not soccer. In boxing, you come to a point where you can’t fight anymore.
“It is a dangerous sport, it is a war, and I think that when you come to a point where you can’t fight, you can’t mess around with boxing.”
Joshua is now expected to face Fury in Cardiff on Friday, December 11, in what could prove to be one of the biggest fights of his career.
Meanwhile, Hrgovic is expected to defend his heavyweight title against Frank Sanchez in Croatia in early 2027.
