Daniel Dubois defended his IBF world heavyweight title with a fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua on Saturday; Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk in December after losing a split decision to the Ukrainian in May; Joshua vs Fury is thought to be a potential showdown in 2025
Tuesday 24 September 2024 06:08, UK
Eddie Hearn believes Anthony Joshua should wait for the outcome of the rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk before making a decision about a potential second bout with Daniel Dubois.
The 34-year-old was floored four times as Dubois claimed a fifth-round stoppage in a one-sided showdown on Saturday that left the Wembley crowd shell-shocked.
Victory for Joshua would have put him on course to fight the winner of Fury's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, but there is still potential for the showdown to take place in the future.
"My advice is don't do anything until December 21, Usyk vs Fury," Joshua's promoter Hearn told Sky Sports News.
"If Tyson Fury loses that fight, you set up a big fight with Anthony Joshua. If Tyson Fury wins that fight, you make a voluntary defence against Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight championship.
"In AJ's mind, I think all he'll want to do is get back in with Daniel Dubois because they'll think they can beat him.
"In my mind, I think we have to wait to see what happens with Tyson Fury.
"If AJ is looking at a couple of big fights in 2025, and there is an opportunity to still fight Tyson Fury - because it's still the biggest fight in the division by a mile - I think that's something we should look at as well.
"Even in defeat, he's still the biggest star in Britain with Tyson Fury, and possibly around the world.
"He doesn't want to lose, but as we close the chapters to his career he'll be looking for the biggest fights."
Sky Sports News understands there is no rematch clause regarding Dubois and Joshua.
Joshua is contracted for one more fight with Riyadh Season and Dubois could be a potential opponent for that, but he is under no obligation to have an immediate rematch with Joshua.
"At the moment, it's about looking at the options for Anthony," added Hearn. "It's all very fresh at the moment, just over 24 hours after the fight, plenty of options to consider."
"We have the opportunity to fight a number of opponents with Riyadh Season and Daniel Dubois could be one of them.
"If that was something we wanted to push with Riyadh Season and His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] we could, but at the same time also being open to looking at other fights as well, particularly focusing on December 21 as well."
Dubois retained the IBF heavyweight world title at Wembley in front of a majority pro-Joshua crowd by knocking out the acclaimed former two-time world heavyweight champion.
"I think he made a lot of mistakes," admitted Hearn. "Training camp went great and there are definitely no complaints from our side.
"He prepared really well, sparred excellently and on the night didn't do as he was told in terms of game plan. He let Dubois take the centre of the ring and be governor in there, and paid the price.
"It was horrendous, to get chinned like that at the end of the first round is difficult to recover from. He did amazingly well to recover and go into that fourth and fifth round.
"He's kicking himself for not performing how he should have on a big night.
"I'm proud of him, he tried to win the fight. You get a lot of people who get hurt, come to survive and you get others who want to let their hands go, trade and try and win.
"He got up until he couldn't get up anymore, he got up many times that night but that was a big right hand from Daniel Dubois and one too many."
Fury's promoter Frank Warren is still open to a blockbuster all-British showdown in the future.
"Let's see what happens in that fight [Fury vs Usyk]," Warren told Sky Sports. "I believe Tyson will come through it and then who knows, it may happen.
"AJ may get a fight back, may get himself back into contention. I'm sure people would buy into it - there's no doubt about it - but whether it's a winner against a loser, it depends on the outcome of the fight with Usyk, which is a tough fight."
Following his humbling defeat, Joshua refused to walk away from the sport and, in a social media video, said he has the desire to continue fighting.
Hearn also reiterated that message, saying: "I think a lot of them don't really know him and don't know how he's feeling, and the desire he's got. All I can tell you is he's got a lot of good people around him who care deeply about him.
"One thing he's been shocked by, that I've not been shocked by, is the support he's received and it's really lifted him.
"I don't think he'll want anybody to feel sorry for him or be disheartened, but he is gutted and devastated, and the support he's had has been incredible.
"He's been looking like the best of his whole career going into this fight. He underperformed, we have to establish why, but in his heart he still feels fresh and like he's got a lot to give to the sport, but there's no rush.
"We're going to go away, take our time and look at the options. There will be no decisions before December 21, so right now it's just relax, take your time.
"The desire is 100 per cent still there to fight. Physically, if he can still be the fighter he has been and that we believe he is, then you will see him continue and it's something we'll to him about.
"One hundred per cent you'll see him back in the ring in 2025."
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