Anthony Joshua, the Nigerian-born British heavyweight boxer, is under pressure to accept a rematch against Daniel Dubois by the end of the week.
If Joshua fails to agree to the rematch within the next 48 hours, he will forfeit his chance to reclaim the championship belts he lost to Dubois in September.
The initial loss was a stunning upset, with Dubois, just 27 years old, sending Joshua to the canvas four times before his corner threw in the towel in the fifth round. The defeat was all the more embarrassing given the massive crowd of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
Initially, the rematch was scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia next February. However, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has expressed concerns about the timeline, citing the need for Joshua to reassess his strategy following the loss.
Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, is pushing for a swift resolution and has made it clear that if Joshua doesn’t respond within the next 48 hours, the rematch is likely off the table.
Warren emphasized the urgency, stating that unless Joshua responds within the next two days, the rematch will not go ahead.
Warren is eager to announce the fight and hopes to have clarity by tomorrow, warning that there may be no progress on the matter for at least another week after that.
In the meantime, Barry Hearn, Joshua’s promoter and father, offered his perspective on the impending rematch. He believes that with a different strategy, Joshua could potentially find success against Dubois in a second encounter.
However, he also cautioned against hasty decisions, advocating for a more measured approach. “Dubois is a dangerous opponent, and he’ll be super confident after the last fight. I still think AJ could beat him in a rematch if he boxes differently, but that’s just my opinion,” he told The Mirror.
