Eddie Hearn says he believes a second clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will be another of the Riyadh Season events after they exercise the rematch clause.
There will be a lot of fans interested in seeing a Joshua-Dubois rematch because they’ll want to see if AJ can avenge his loss. Of course, some fans will be anxious to see if Dubois can send Joshua into retirement with a second knockout.
That’s what makes the rematch intriguing, and it will likely bring in big PPV numbers. Hearn didn’t say anything about whether Joshua will exercise the rematch clause immediately or wait until after he fights Tyson Fury. That’s the fight the public wants to see.
Joshua (28-4, 23 KOs) will take the remainder of the year off after his fifth-round knockout loss to IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs), and then he’ll return in 2025.
Hearn likes the effort Joshua put in after he’d been hurt in the first and rallied in the fourth and fifth. However, by then, Joshua was “damaged goods,” with his punch resistance having evaporated after the first.
“He never stopped trying to land big shots to knock Dubois out, even when he had no legs, and that is unbelievable heart,” said Eddie Hearn to the Stomping Grounds about Anthony Joshua still trying to win despite being on weak legs from the first round.
Joshua didn’t land many right hands in the fight because he looked cautious and carried too much muscle in his arms. For this fight, AJ should have been trimmer and more aggressive. Fighting passively didn’t work for him, and it allowed Dubois to have confidence. If Joshua had hurt Dubois early, he would have made him wary of throwing.
“You saw him say, ‘Come on,’ and waiting for him and swinging with his chin up in the air,” Hearn continued about Joshua. “People have criticized AJ in the past for not letting his hands go. He was letting his hands go at the maddest times.”
Joshua didn’t throw a lot of punches in any of the rounds; there a few in the third and fourth, but not enough for him to hurt Dubois the way he needed to. He made a big deal about motioning Dubois back to his corner after the fourth, but he hadn’t done a lot in that round.
“I said, ‘You got to be proud of yourself because it couldn’t have gone any worse, and you never stopped trying to get up.’ Even when he couldn’t get up in the end [fifth round], trying to get up. Every time he got knocked down, he looked straight at the ref, ‘I’m fine.’ He called Dubois in consistently,” said Hearn.
Joshua was putting up a false front by showing bravery after he was dropped, but you could tell he was worried, and he knew the fight was going badly for him.
“When he did get back in the fight and started hurting Dubois, he was already damaged goods, and he got cleaned out,” said Hearn.
Joshua should have used his jab to set Dubois up for a right hand after he staggered him in the fifth. He already had him hurt. and he didn’t need to unload on him with a risky right hand.
“We’ll keep that respectful because I don’t think it’s fair, Daniel, but we have another fight with Riyadh Season we can exercise. I believe AJ will want that to be Daniel Dubois.
“He felt he was coming back into the fight,” said Hearn about Joshua believing that he was rallying in the fourth and fifth. “I spoke to him at length last night, and he was really prepared to go to the trenches. He said to me, ‘I’m really prepared to do whatever it takes,’ and he never stopped trying.”
If Joshua was serious about going to the trenches, he should have thrown more punches because he wasn’t throwing enough for him to give himself a chance of winning the fight. If he could have thrown 40 to 50 punches per round, he would have easily won. He wasn’t doing that, and he appeared to be worried about gassing.
“It was hard to watch to watch at times in rounds two and three. He never stopped holding on, he never stopped swinging, and we should be proud of him for that performance.
“No, I don’t think so,” said Hearn when asked if there’s any chance of Joshua retiring after this loss. “He was on a great run. He just got caught so early. He was never really got a chance to get into the fight, but even in the circumstances, he almost found a way back in.
“So, he’ll be gutted, he’ll be kicking himself and will take the rest of the year out, and then you’ll see him back in 2025,” said Hearn.
Joshua could have fought a much better fight, and he’s got to have some regrets. Taking the rest of the year off will leave Joshua to stew on his defeat.
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