Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua’s promoter, is confident that the British boxer will have a rematch with Daniel Dubois following his recent defeat. Joshua, 34, suffered a knockout loss to Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium, which cost him the IBF world heavyweight title. However, a rematch now appears likely.
In his remarks after the fight, which was witnessed by a 96,000-strong audience, Hearn stated, “I am sure he’ll exercise that rematch clause. I think that’s a given. But he’ll need a rest and it’s a dangerous fight. This guy (Dubois) is growing in confidence all the time but he’ll believe he can hurt Dubois.”
Hearn acknowledged Dubois’ impressive performance, adding, “Full credit to Daniel Dubois, he deserves all the credit tonight.”
Meanwhile, Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, expressed interest in a showdown between Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk, who is set to rematch Tyson Fury in December. Warren stated, “Oleksandr Usyk is considered to be at the moment the best heavyweight in the world… I’d like to see him fight him now – but obviously he’s got to fight Tyson [Fury] first.”
Warren praised Dubois for his resilient performance, stating, “He’s showed his courage, showed his skills, his resilience.”
Dubois himself expressed his eagerness for future challenges, declaring, “Maybe Usyk, a big shot at my redemption. Anyone… anyone can get it.”
Reflecting on his fourth professional defeat, Joshua acknowledged Dubois’ victory, saying, “Credit to him and his team, we rolled the dice at success and we come up short. But I want to say everyone at Wembley, I appreciate you coming out this evening… I’m going to keep my cool and give respect to my opponent.”