Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn has acknowledged that Anthony Joshua is still grappling with his recent defeat to Daniel Dubois and is carefully considering his options for a potential rematch.
The former two-time unified heavyweight champion was stopped by Dubois in the fifth round of their fight at Wembley last month, leaving him reeling as he contemplates his next move. Dubois, who retained his IBF heavyweight title, knocked Joshua down four times before finishing the match just 59 seconds into the fifth round, securing a stunning victory. Joshua had entered the bout as the favourite, especially following a streak of four consecutive wins after two back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Earlier this year, Joshua also defeated former UFC champion Francis Ngannou, reaffirming his status as a top contender in the heavyweight division. However, the loss to Dubois has left the 34-year-old with significant decisions to make about his future in the ring.
Speaking on DAZN, Hearn shed light on Joshua’s current state of mind. “It’s still quite fresh, only three weeks ago. He’s devastated by the defeat,” he stated.
“Daniel’s had a great time in Brazil as the new champion, and it’s well deserved. There’s a period of time within AJ’s contract where he has to make a decision, and it’s not up yet, but he’s thinking hard. He’s resting his body and figuring out what he wants to do.”
Hearn acknowledged that discussions regarding a possible rematch are ongoing, hinting that Joshua is leaning towards facing Dubois again, despite the uncertainty surrounding it.
“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 instead of facing Deontay Wilder or waiting for Tyson Fury. If it’s solely up to AJ, which it will be at the end of the day, I think it’s going to be hard to talk him out of taking the rematch.”
Veteran heavyweight Derek Chisora also weighed in on Joshua’s situation, offering some straightforward advice.
“He should jump on the rematch straight away,” Chisora said on ‘The Stomping Ground’. “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, chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, and Dubois are interested in making the rematch happen.
