Daniel Dubois makes Anthony Joshua rematch claim as next fight finally announced

The IBF heavyweight king has a combat booked for February, and portion it's not against Joshua, the Brit has opened the doorway to a aboriginal rematch with the erstwhile satellite champion

IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has refused to adjacent the doorway connected a rematch with Anthony Joshua aft his adjacent combat was precocious announced.

'Dynamite' is scheduled to make a instrumentality to the ringing connected February 22 and volition instrumentality connected erstwhile world champion Joseph Parker successful Riyadh. The heavyweight dust-up volition service arsenic the co-headline enactment arsenic a blockbuster sequel betwixt Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol is acceptable to apical the bill.

The Brit volition beryllium hoping to successfully support his IBF rubric for a 2nd time. In his showdown with 'AJ', Dubois was a immense underdog, but helium went connected to driblet his heavyweight rival 4 times successful full earlier securing a sensational knockout successful the 5th circular to clasp his golden strap.

Soon aft the fight, Saudi boxing main Turki Alalshikh had projected a day connected February 22, with His Excellency targeting the rematch betwixt the 2 British stars. However, that was yet unopen down aft Joshua's squad revealed that the erstwhile satellite champion is presently recovering from immoderate insignificant injuries.

In an interrogation with Boxing News, Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealed his lawsuit volition apt instrumentality to the ringing adjacent summer. "We had a precise awkward telephone with 'AJ' and his aesculapian team," helium said. "He wanted to combat successful February and fundamentally was told 'there is nary mode you tin commencement campy and beryllium 100% for February, physically'. There’s thing major. There’s 2 oregon 3 issues that helium had a small spot successful campy but besides aft the combat arsenic well. And they said you request to travel backmost successful May-June and helium didn’t privation to bash it. He wanted to combat successful February, but unluckily we benignant of had to overrule him connected this and accidental nary due to the fact that we can’t spend not to get this right."

While Dubois whitethorn person to hold a small longer to instrumentality connected Joshua erstwhile again, the 27-year-old is optimistic that the sequel volition instrumentality spot successful the future. "To me, arsenic a fighter, I would person liked to get it connected and get a last decision to that," Dubois told talksSPORT, "But I'm conscionable truly blessed to beryllium retired again and support this belt. I'm definite that mightiness hap down the line, who knows? So yeah, I'm conscionable acceptable to go."

Despite talks of a sequel with Joshua, Dubois remains firmly focused connected Parker. "I'm truly excited and acceptable to go," helium said. "I'm gladsome I've got an hostile now. I'm conscionable acceptable to question and destroy, to spell to enactment again. It's been talked astir for a while, truthful I'm yet gladsome to get it connected and get successful the ringing and amusement the radical that I'm the existent deal."

Parker has re-established himself arsenic a apical contender successful the part arsenic of precocious aft defeating Deontay Wilder and, astir recently, Zhilei Zhang. Therefore, 'Dynamite' knows he's successful for a pugnacious test, but has identified a fewer keys to victory. "I deliberation I've got to conscionable spell close done him and beryllium amended astatine everything, amended successful each department," helium continued. "Speed, youth, energy, power, everything - I've got to bring it. He's an experienced seasoned of the game, truthful I've got to conscionable fundamentally conscionable interruption him down and decorativeness him off."