Eddie Hearn, the promoter for Anthony Joshua, is confident that the British boxer will challenge Daniel Dubois for a rematch following his recent defeat. Joshua, 34, lost to Dubois via knockout in the fifth round of their heavyweight clash at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, forfeiting the chance to claim the IBF world heavyweight title. Despite the loss, Hearn believes a rematch is likely.
After addressing a crowd of 96,000 after the fight, 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. He’ll believe he can beat him. Full credit to Daniel Dubois; he deserves all the credit tonight for his great performance.”
On the other hand, Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, is eyeing a fight between Dubois and Oleksandr Usyk, who is set to face Tyson Fury in a rematch this December. Warren mentioned, “Oleksandr Usyk is considered to be the best heavyweight in the world right now, and he gave Dubois his toughest fight in their previous matchup.” He expressed the desire to see Dubois in the ring with Usyk, but acknowledged that Dubois needs to face Fury first.
Dubois expressed his ambitions, stating, “Maybe Usyk, a big shot at my redemption. Anyone… anyone can get it. This is my time, this is my redemption story, and I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”
In light of his fourth career defeat, Joshua reflected on the fight, admitting, “Credit to him and his team; we rolled the dice at success, and we came up short. But I want to say everyone at Wembley, I appreciate you coming out this evening. You know I’m upset, and ready to go in the ring, but I’m going to keep my cool and remain professional, giving respect to my opponent.”