Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Anthony Joshua, is confident that the defeated boxer will have a chance to challenge Daniel Dubois for a rematch. In their recent encounter at Wembley Stadium, Joshua, 34, suffered a knockout by Dubois in the fifth round, thus missing the opportunity to claim the IBF heavyweight title.
After the fight, which drew a crowd of 96,000, Hearn stated, “I am sure he’ll exercise that rematch clause. I think that’s a given.” He acknowledged that Joshua would need some time to recuperate, noting the increased confidence of Dubois, who is 27. Hearn also paid tribute to Dubois’ performance, declaring, “Full credit to Daniel Dubois, he deserves all the credit tonight, it was a great performance from Daniel.”
Meanwhile, Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren expressed a desire to see his fighter face Oleksandr Usyk, who is set to rematch Tyson Fury in December. Warren remarked, “Oleksandr Usyk is considered to be at the moment the best heavyweight in the world… he gave him at that time his toughest fight, there’s no doubt about that.” He added that while he hopes for a Dubois vs. Usyk fight, Dubois must first contend with Fury.
As for Dubois, he hinted at wanting another shot at Usyk, stating, “Maybe Usyk, a big shot at my redemption. Anyone… anyone can get it.” He expressed determination, saying, “This is my time, this is my redemption story and I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”
Joshua addressed his fourth career loss, offering credit to Dubois and acknowledging his own shortcomings. “We rolled the dice at success and we come up short,” he said. He also expressed gratitude to the fans, stating, “I appreciate you coming out this evening. You know I’m p*****; you know I’m ready to kick off in the ring, but I’m going to keep my cool and keep very professional and give respect to my opponent.”