Matchroom Founder Advises Joshua to Avoid Dubois Rematch

Matchroom Boxing founder Barry Hearn shared his perspective on a potential rematch between Anthony Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) and IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs).

"Personally, I’d probably steer clear of this fight. In my opinion, Dubois is dangerous, and after their last fight, he’ll be extremely confident. I still believe AJ would likely beat him in a rematch if he fought differently, but that’s just my opinion.

A rematch with Daniel Dubois would be a big fight. But if Oleksandr Usyk defeats Tyson Fury again, as I believe he’s favored to do, the more sensible option would be to set up one or two fights with Tyson Fury," Hearn commented on The Barry Hearn Show.

In September, Dubois knocked out Joshua in the fifth round. After the fight, Joshua pushed for an immediate rematch, but Matchroom head Eddie Hearn revealed that AJ has minor injuries, suggesting that May 2025 would be ideal for a second bout with Dubois.

On December 21, the highly anticipated rematch between Tyson Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) and Oleksandr Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In their first encounter, Usyk won by a split decision, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 25 years.