Anthony Joshua Could Eye Up A Different Star-Studded Bout Should He Miss the Dubois Rematch

Anthony Joshua looked primed and ready to become a three-time world heavyweight champion on 21 September 2024. Stepping into the familiar Wembley Stadium ring in front of a massive crowd, the template seemed to be clear. On paper, Joshua can outbox Daniel Dubois, work behind the jab, and capitalize on his lacking guard.

While Dubois had been collecting impressive knockout wins, he let Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic test his chin needlessly and often. With AJ’s power, the former unified world champion simply had to wait for opportunities. Instead, Dubois flew towards him like a bear fresh out of hibernation, mauling from the off.

Joshua couldn’t stop the onslaught, and while he did manage to work his way to Dubois’ chin to rock the 27-year-old in the fifth, he left himself open to what would be the decisive right counter to the chin. Joshua was immobilized, with the BBC hailing the victory as a sensational dismantling of the 34-year-old.

Naturally, and as is often the case when a world title is on the line, the knee-jerk reaction is the rush into the rematch. Joshua did it against Andy Ruiz and won, but lost after an improved effort in the second bout with Oleksandr Usyk. Here, however, there’s a ticking clock, and injuries might get in the way.

An Expected Rematch May Be Too Soon

There’s a lot that Joshua will want to work on to avoid such a demolition job were Dubois to meet him in a rematch, but learning how to evade and shrug off pressure is a tall order. Against Ruiz, Joshua adopted a new method and danced around the new unified champion. That said, Ruiz didn’t help himself between bouts.

Under Ben Davison since the Otto Wallin bout on 23 December 2023, Joshua has been encouraged to tap into his raw power much more, which has bore fruit. Prior, his coaches were encouraging more of a restrained approach, which didn’t appease his critics. Davison said, he merely helped select the right tools, per this BoxingScene piece.

Aggression may have done well against Dubois if he connected well early, but Dubois got there first. While certainly not much of an authority, Jarrell Miller says that you don’t need to wait for Joshua to run out of energy and just need to jump him, as we relayed at BoxingDaily.

Joshua would want time to adjust to new methods and to find ways to work the holes in Dubois’ game, but there are other issues to contend with. According to his promoter, Eddie Hearn, little injuries may hold him back from an immediate rematch. Hearn hinted at the need to start camp by mid-December was too soon due to injuries.

For Dubois, delaying a rematch likely isn’t an option. Usyk will rematch Tyson Fury on 21 December, so Dubois wants to get his mandatory out of the way in good time to make the fight to become undisputed next on his schedule. On 22 April next year, he’ll be informed of who he’d have to face as a mandatory by 21 June, which would pose a scheduling issue. So, if a rematch is to happen it has to be by the end of March, ideally.

Rematch isn’t the Only Option for Joshua

On 21 December, three of the big four belts will be up for grabs again, seeing the unified champion, Usyk, battle the towering Tyson Fury once more. As of 29 October, at online betting site Betway, the champion is favored to win again at 4/7 following his strong showing in the first fight, with Fury out at 3/2.

This could allow Joshua to line up a different star-studded bout next, and one that’s more in line with a decent recovery timetable and ample training camp. After all, the British public have wanted Joshua versus Fury since before they both lost their undefeated status. As Fury has told us, it’d be a shame if they didn’t get to fight.

Fighting Fury and perhaps even beating the Gypsy King would swiftly re-establish Joshua as a top contender for the belts. Rumbles with Agit Kabayel, Martin Bakole, and even Joseph Parker would also do well for his ranking. Alternatively, in what would surely be a big money bout, he could go after an old foe.

Deontay Wilder’s current legacy as a former world heavyweight champion is one of a ducker. He avoided all rated challengers to his WBC World title for as long as possible, and only let Fury in because he was so fresh from his long absence. That proved to eventually be his undoing, and now, he’s lost four of his last five bouts.

Still, due to the animosity garnered by Wilder keeping that fourth and final belt hidden from Joshua just as the Brit was surging with his three belts, a match between the two would likely still sell out a big open-top stadium in the UK. Even veteran Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has called for the fight to happen next.

If Joshua isn’t ready in time for Dubois’ pressing defense, there are plenty of other scores to settle that British boxing fans would love to see.