Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is carefully considering his options following a recent defeat to Daniel Dubois. The loss has left him contemplating his future in the ring and whether to pursue a rematch.
Dubois, who retained his IBF heavyweight title, secured a stunning victory over Joshua in the fifth round of their bout. This defeat came as a shock to many, especially considering Joshua’s recent successes against Oleksandr Usyk and Francis Ngannou.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, acknowledged the impact of the defeat on Joshua. “It’s still quite fresh, only three weeks ago. He’s devastated by the defeat,” Hearn said. “Daniel’s had a great time in Brazil as the new champion, and it’s well deserved.”
Hearn also hinted at the possibility of a rematch, stating that discussions are ongoing and that Joshua is leaning towards that option. “When you start thinking about it, there’s no bad decision,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “He wants to win the world heavyweight title, and that could mean fighting Dubois again rather than facing Deontay Wilder or waiting for Tyson Fury.”
Veteran heavyweight Derek Chisora offered his advice to Joshua, urging him to take the rematch immediately. “He should jump on the rematch straight away,” Chisora said. “Listen, shout out to Daniel Dubois, the new champion, but Joshua should go for it, bro. What else is he going to do? Fight Deontay Wilder, then come back to face Dubois? No, he should take the rematch now.”
While there is no explicit contractual rematch clause, sources indicate that Joshua has one more fight left on his Riyadh Season deal, and both Turki Alalshikh and Dubois are interested in making the rematch happen.
