The heavyweight rematch between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois could potentially take place in February, as reported by The Mirror.
Dubois made headlines with a stunning fifth-round knockout of Joshua during their first encounter at Wembley Stadium. He dominated the fight, knocking Joshua down early in the first round and sending him to the canvas three times before securing the victory.
While there were initial thoughts that Dubois might wait for the winner of the upcoming Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury clash in December, recent developments suggest a rematch with Joshua is now on the table. Frank Warren, Dubois’ promoter, has indicated that Dubois is aiming for an early fight next year, with February 22 in Riyadh being a possible date.
“I’m very open to that. I would take the door off its hinges for that fight,” Warren told TNT Sports. “If they want it, they’ve got it. His next fight will be in February, and we’ll determine who that will be in the coming week or two.”
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, also supports the idea, noting that Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is keen to see Joshua face Dubois again.
“Rematch clauses can take many forms,” Hearn explained to talkSPORT. “We have an agreement with Riyadh Season, and one option is to fight Daniel Dubois again. His Excellency will negotiate with Frank and Daniel to make that fight happen. We’ve already settled our terms and have the option to rematch Dubois. Our discussions indicate he wants the rematch, and both AJ and Daniel are eager for it; it’s the biggest fight for Dubois. The main question is whether we’ll go straight into the rematch and when it will occur. It was a tough night for AJ, and he will need some time to rest and recover.”