When Anthony Joshua turned 29, he boasted a perfect 22-0 record as a professional boxer. As he continued to challenge himself, that once-unblemished record took a few hits.
Joshua has suffered four losses in his career, beginning with a shocking defeat in 2019 and followed by back-to-back losses to the same opponent less than a year apart.
While Joshua bounced back with four consecutive wins between 2023 and 2024 — including a high-profile victory over Francis Ngannou — the former heavyweight champion suffered a fourth loss close to home in late 2024.
Here’s a look back at each of Joshua’s losses, including his 2019 upset defeat.
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Who did Anthony Joshua lose to?
Andy Ruiz Jr., 2019
Joshua put his heavyweight title on the line against Andy Ruiz Jr. In 2019, but few envisioned him actually losing it. Ruiz entered as a decisive underdog after replacing Jarrell Miller, who failed drug tests ahead of the bout, and Joshua was widely viewed as a heavy favorite despite Ruiz’s impressive 32-1 career record.
At the time of the fight, Joshua was 22-0 as a professional boxer with 21 knockouts.
Ruiz knocked Joshua down three times before delivering the finishing blow in the seventh round at Madison Square Garden. After nearly staying down for the full 10 count, Joshua got back to his feet but sauntered toward the ropes and briefly spoke with the referee, who then decided to stop the fight.
Ruiz was elated after an unbelievable victory and became the heavyweight champion until Joshua won a rematch six months later. Ruiz attributed his December 2019 loss partly to the time he spent celebrating after the June victory.
Oleksandr Usyk, 2021
After a light schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Joshua got back in the ring with a 24-1 record and put his heavyweight title on the line against Oleksander Usyk in late 2021.
Usyk won by unanimous decision, avoiding a knockout and winning in Joshua's home of London. The win brought Usyk's career record to 19-0 and made him the world heavyweight champion.
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Oleksandr Usyk, 2022
Joshua triggered a rematch clause in the original deal with Usyk but couldn't capitalize on the opportunity to win back his heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua landed more punches than he did the first time around thanks to a more aggressive approach and was able to force a split decision, but it was a controversial result with many believing Usyk should have won unanimously.
Daniel Dubois, 2024
After winning four consecutive matches and improving to 28-3 in his career, Joshua suffered an upset loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in late 2024.
Dubois connected on 40 percent of punches compared to Joshua's 27 percent, and Dubois won by knockout in the fifth round to deliver the former heavyweight champion his second loss by knockout in his career.
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Anthony Joshua career record
Joshua has a career record of 28-4, though he is only 6-4 since starting his career 22-0.
With two stints as the world heavyweight champion, Joshua earned his reputation as one of the most intimidating, physical boxers in the sport, but losses to Ruiz, Usyk and Dubois forced him to adjust as he settled into his 30s.
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Where is Andy Ruiz now?
Ruiz has participated in only three professional fights since his rematch with Joshua, defeating Chris Arreola in 2021 and Luis Ortiz in 2022 before a draw with Jarrell Miller in 2024. Ruiz underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff between the Ortiz and Miller fights, and he injured his hand during the bout with Miller.
While he hasn't fought since 2024, Ruiz revealed in mid-2025 that he has lost a significant amount of weight and is attempting to get back in the ring under after reuniting with trainer Manny Robles.
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Anthony Joshua surgery after Daniel Dubois loss
After his upset loss to Dubois in 2024, Joshua said he took time to reset and evaluate what went wrong. Included in that evaluation was the decision to undergo elbow surgery in early 2025.
Less than a month after the surgery, Joshua posted videos of himself shadowboxing in an indication that the procedure wasn't serious and wouldn't keep him out of the ring much longer.