Anthony Joshua's road to becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion hit a major bump. The former champ got knocked out by Daniel Dubois in their recent title fight.
Dubois, the newly elevated IBF titleholder at 27, looked sharper and faster than Joshua. He put 'AJ' on the canvas three times before finishing the job in the fifth round.
Right after the fight, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said his fighter wanted an immediate rematch. Talks for a second bout started quickly, with Dubois and Riyadh Season's Turki Alalshikh eyeing February 22, 2025, as a potential date.
But now, Hearn's told BBC Sport that Joshua's got two options on the table: Dubois or Tyson Fury.
"It's weird saying it after a knockout defeat but AJ is actually in a really good position. We're going to fight Dubois or Fury next. That's it. No other interest or warm-up. AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing. For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks."
Hearn's worried about Joshua's physical readiness. The promoter mentioned some lingering injuries that might make a quick turnaround tricky.
There's also the question of missing out on a potential Fury fight in May if they go for the Dubois rematch in February. Hearn explained:
"There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it's just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that … It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won. Then we're sitting there going 'hang on a minute, we're fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.' Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title."
Dubois' team plans to fight on that February date no matter what. His promoter, Frank Warren, doesn't think Joshua will be in the opposite corner.
The upcoming fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on December 21 might sway Joshua's decision. For now, the former champ's got some big choices to make about his next move in the heavyweight division.
