Anthony Joshua urged to avoid Daniel Dubois rematch by former opponent

The two-time heavyweight champion has been urged to debar a rematch with Daniel Dubois aft suffering a devastating decision astatine Wembley Stadium past month

Anthony Joshua has been urged to debar the rematch with Daniel Dubois by erstwhile hostile Otto Wallin aft the Brit suffered an agonising decision past month.

The British boxing prima was a immense favourite going into the clash with the fellow-Brit, but struggled from the archetypal bell. 'Dynamite' went connected to driblet Joshua 4 times successful full earlier securing a sensational knockout successful the 5th circular to clasp his IBF title.

Despite specified a one-sided main event, Joshua refused to locomotion away. “You’re astir apt asking if I inactive privation to see fighting. Of people I privation to proceed fighting,” said Joshua, who declined to instrumentality questions astatine the post-fight property conference. “We took a changeable astatine occurrence and we came up short. What does that mean now? That we’re going to tally away? We’re going to unrecorded to combat different day. And that’s what I americium – I’m a warrior. Always locomotion with your caput high. We rolled the dice for the 3rd time. There person been 13 world-title fights, not each 1 of them has been palmy but each 1 has been amusive and entertaining.

“There were a fewer mistakes successful determination but that’s the sanction of the game. Fine margins volition outgo you astatine the apical level. Also earlier I finish, we person to springiness recognition our hostile Daniel. When I motion up to combat opponents, I don’t truly similar them successful my caput immoderate more. But present that it’s done, I instrumentality my chapeau disconnected to him and accidental good done.”

One antheral who believes 'AJ' shouldn't entertain the thought of a sequel is Joshua's erstwhile opponent, Wallin. The brace went toe-to-toe successful Riyadh successful December 2023. The Brit rolled backmost the years to present a ascendant show and unit the Swede to quit connected his stool successful the 5th round.

The Swedish heavyweight sees nary crushed for the two-time world champion to instrumentality the 2nd combat with Dubois unless helium thinks helium tin win. Wallin, 33, says that fixed however easy 'Dynamite' was capable to deed 'AJ,' it looked similar Joshua wasn't acceptable defensively for him. When asked if the Brit should instrumentality the rematch, the Swede told Boxing News: “I wouldn’t counsel for it. For now, I don’t spot a crushed for it. The casual reply is to accidental no, helium shouldn’t rematch.”

Wallin was surely impressed with what helium saw from Dubois, but revealed the astonishing mistake Joshua made successful his heavyweight showdown with the IBF champion. "Dubois did a truly bully job. With Joshua, I felt similar helium was caught disconnected guard. He ne'er got into the fight. That was Dubois’ night. That helium came retired and was capable to deed Joshua truthful easy,” Wallin said.

"When I fought Joshua, helium had bully defence. I felt it was hard to deed him, but Dubois landed everything. He had his hands truly low, which amazed me, and helium had his chin up successful the aerial also. He wasn’t capable to usage his footwork arsenic well. It looked similar Joshua had been moving connected countering, and I felt similar they thought it was going to beryllium casual to deed Dubois due to the fact that we saw successful the Hrgovic combat that helium got deed with a batch of 1-2s. I deliberation they figured that Joshua was going to beryllium capable to onshore beauteous easily."

Following his decision astatine Wembley, Joshua has dropped to seventh successful the heavyweight rankings. While fans are calling for Dubois to look the victor of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II, it would look that a 2nd showdown with 'AJ' appears much realistic. Frank Warren, Dubois promoter, has revealed that 'Dynamite's' adjacent combat volition instrumentality spot aboriginal adjacent twelvemonth and is precise overmuch unfastened to the rematch betwixt the 2 heavyweight giants with February 22 pencilled successful for a combat paper successful Riyadh.