Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury dead in the water after Brit, 34, handed beating of his life by Daniel Dubois at Wembley

IT was the country of his finest hour, a packed-out Wembley Stadium.

And, connected Saturday night, it was the country of what ought to beryllium his last curtain call.

When Anthony Joshua defeated the large Wladimir Klitschko successful an epic combat backmost successful 2017, the Watford antheral looked destined for all-time greatness.

Yet aft a ruthless demolition occupation from chap Brit Daniel Dubois, Joshua is present surely finished arsenic an elite heavyweight, having ne'er touched the heights of genuine greatness.

He has been a precise bully fighter, with a large concern model. And helium should present discontinue arsenic an highly affluent man.

Joshua normalised monolithic stadium fights successful Britain and then, not satisfied with the riches harvested from 4 successive victories successful beforehand of afloat houses astatine Wembley and Cardiff, helium became the archetypal elite boxer to get into furniture with the Saudis.

On Saturday nighttime we witnessed 2 boxers from either broadside of London contesting the IBF satellite heavyweight rubric astatine Wembley arsenic portion of thing called ‘Riyadh Season’, after the playing of the Saudi nationalist anthem.

The takeover of elite boxing by that oppressive human-rights-abusing Middle Eastern authorities was implicit - and it had been started by Joshua agreeing to combat Andy Ruiz Jr successful Riyadh successful 2019, to avenge his archetypal nonrecreational decision and go satellite champion for a 2nd time. 

But ever since that thrilling triumph implicit Klitschko - 1 of the Ukrainian brothers who ruled the heavyweights part for decade, but a antheral who had already been dethroned by Tyson Fury - we person been waiting for Joshua to combat the Gypsy King successful what would person been the biggest combat successful British history.

Saudi wealthiness has bashed unneurotic the heads of promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren and would person allowed AJ-Fury to happen.

CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

But present that contention - which had been lined up for the umpteenth clip for adjacent outpouring - looks dormant successful the water.

And if it does ever happen, it volition beryllium respective years excessively precocious - successful the mode of Floyd Mayweather’s underwhelming points triumph implicit Manny Pacquiao erstwhile some were mode past their prime.

Joshua, who turns 35 adjacent month, was handed the beating of his beingness by the 27-year-old Dubois connected Saturday - ne'er recovering from the crushing over-the-top close which decked him astatine the extremity of the opening round.

And adjacent Hearn - the promoter who has masterminded Joshua’s lucrative vocation - was openly speculating connected whether capable mightiness beryllium enough.

Hearn said: “Our interests are to marque definite helium leaves this athletics with a legacy, a immense magnitude of wealth but besides with his wellness intact.

"If you commencement getting knocked retired similar that, you surely person to look astatine things.

“You ne'er privation to transportation connected excessively long, but astatine the aforesaid clip AJ is simply a heavyweight who doesn't really person galore miles connected the clock.

“Fighters sometimes request redeeming from themselves but AJ is simply a astute guy.

“We've seen the champion of AJ implicit the past year. It's hard to accidental that, conscionable due to the fact that helium got chinned tonight, that's it.

“But he's successful the closing chapters of his career, there's nary uncertainty astir that.

“Now we person different combat with Riyadh play and Turki Alalshikh and (a rematch with) Daniel Dubois is portion of that plan, but truthful excessively could beryllium Tyson Fury oregon different heavyweight.”

Would determination beryllium immoderate intrigue successful watching Joshua combat Fury now?

Fury is intelligibly a vastly superior all-round boxer, whether oregon not helium wins backmost his ain world-title belts from Oleksandr Usyk successful Riyadh successful December.

And likewise, is determination overmuch mileage successful a rematch with Dubois erstwhile Saturday night’s bout produced specified a convincing triumph for the younger man?

In the contiguous aftermath of his fourth, and astir brutal, defeat, Joshua was adamant that helium wants to continue.

He said: “People volition inquire if I inactive privation to proceed fighting. Of people I privation to proceed fighting.

“We took a changeable astatine occurrence and came up abbreviated - what does that mean now?

"That we volition tally away? Or are we going to unrecorded to combat different day? I americium a warrior.”

As an Olympic golden medalist, a two-time satellite heavyweight champion and a nationalist treasure, who has earned astir a 4th of a cardinal pounds, Joshua tin beryllium arrogant of his career.

But helium present enters the unsafe territory of the ageing combatant seeking 1 last payday.

To ticker him combat connected against Dubois until the 5th round, aft specified a concussive aboriginal knock-down, was to witnesser a courageousness which bordered connected recklessness.

Now the genuinely courageous way for Joshua would beryllium to permission his lethal commercialized portion determination is inactive wealth to beryllium earned - truthful that helium is inactive steadfast capable to bask his immense wealth.