The preparedness of Anthony Joshua for a rematch with Daniel Dubois in February has been questioned by his promoter Eddie Hearn.
After being dropped four times in the Wembley Stadium fight last month, AJ lost by knockout to “Dynamite.” Since then, he has fallen to seventh place in the heavyweight boxing rankings. The promoter of Dubois, Frank Warren, has stated that the next bout for “Triple D’s” will take place early in the new year, with February 22 being set aside for a Riyadh event.
Hearn, though, has hinted that the former heavyweight world champion would need more time to recuperate before returning to the ring. Hearn voiced his scepticism in an interview with Sky Sports, saying, “At the moment, our issue is just timing. After having a few minor aches and pains checked out, you are unable to punch for four or five weeks. We must set up camp in roughly three weeks if we plan to battle him in February. It’s a really quick turnaround.
“Ideally we’d like to return around May time,” he added, expressing a preference for a later time. It does seem to be developing rapidly. We could certainly use a little more time, ideally, from a physical standpoint. Sometimes you just go for it even when it’s not perfect. All we have to do is decide if we will be prepared.
“Joshua has emphatically stated to me, ‘I want the rematch.'” However, the only question is whether he will be prepared for February, and they will need to make that determination. It’s not completely ruled out. However, we do value the quick turnaround,” the Mirror says.
According to IBF regulations, Dubois can currently choose his opponents for nine months until he is required to defend, most likely against the winner of Martin Bakole’s IBF final eliminator matchup with Agit Kabayel. Considering the window for a voluntary defence, there is growing conjecture about a rematch with Joshua.
“He’ll have a lot of demons playing on his mind,” ‘Dynamite’ said in an interview with BoxNation on his opponent’s mental state in light of talks surrounding a potential rematch. I have no idea if people are trying to cajole him into it. I’m confident that I’m prepared to take the globe by storm and establish my dominance.”
Several legendary boxers have recommended that ‘AJ’ Joshua think about retiring. Former world champion Anthony Crolla offered his opinion to Freebets.com, stating that if Joshua isn’t interested in “monster paydays,” retirement could be the best option.
He remarked, “It depends on what is in it for AJ now”. Since Anthony Joshua is still a well-known figure, there are plenty of epic battles out there. There are huge salary cheques for him.
“Yes, I believe he should retire if he has no interest in that. He’ll never receive the recognition he deserves after his incredible career, which has inspired countless people and accomplished a great deal for British boxing, amateurs, and the boys from Great Britain.”
