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Eddie Hearn has outlined the two fights he believes would most motivate Anthony Joshua, a rematch with Daniel Dubois and the long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury.
Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) suffered a shock defeat to Dubois in their September showdown, with the younger fighter stopping him in brutal fashion after dropping the betting favourite multiple times early on. The loss derailed Joshua’s momentum after three straight stoppage wins and left him seeking redemption in a rematch.
“So I think that there’s two fights for AJ that really stoke the fire,” Hearn said.
“One is the rematch with Daniel Dubois, and the other one is Tyson Fury, which is out of our control at the moment, but we hope that something can kickstart that fight, but that’s down to Tyson.”
A fight with Fury has long been discussed but remains out of Joshua’s hands as Fury announced his retirement following back-to-back losses to AJ’s former foe, Oleksandr Usyk. If neither of those options materialise, Hearn believes Joshua will still need a top-tier opponent for his Summer return.
Joseph Parker Rematch May Be Next for Anthony Joshua
One of the strongest contenders is Joseph Parker, who is coming off an incredible run of form. Parker has rebuilt his career with three major wins over the likes of Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang, and Deontay Wilder.
Parker was supposed to get his shot at the world title against Dubois, but a big-money fight with AJ may be the next best thing as Dubois seems set to move on and rematch Usyk.
“Parker right now is on one of the hottest runs,” Hearn said. “If Dubois doesn’t fight Usyk, I’d like to see Dubois fight Parker as well, because I think Joe deserves a shot at a world heavyweight title.
But, obviously, if there’s a big unification fight for undisputed, then Joe is going to need another dance partner, and maybe it’s a Joshua rematch.”
Joshua beat Parker back in 2018, taking his world title from him, so a rematch years down the line would add an extra chapter to their heavyweight story.
Joshua’s next move remains unclear, but Hearn insists that whoever he fights next, it will be someone from the division’s top tier.
