Daniel Dubois says he is still not sure if Anthony Joshua will take the rematch with him after the way he destroyed him in his fifth KO victory on September 21 in London.
Dubois feels that Joshua has “demons” in his head to take a second fight against him, leaving him haunted by the memory of what happened. This was a much worse defeat for AJ than his loss to his replacement opponent, Andy Ruiz Jr., in 2019, and he can’t count on Dubois eating and feasting in a state of obesity to go into a rematch.
The Negatives of Joshua Taking Rematch
– PTSD flashbacks
– Punch resistance still weakened
– Marketing hurt
– The pension
A second defeat to the 27-year-old Dubois would virtually destroy what remains of Joshua’s confidence. That would make it difficult for the proud fighter to want to continue his career to face Tyson Fury in an all-British match in 2025.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh would also have wanted to make the Joshua-Fury fight, even with Joshua and Fury coming off losses, but the fans would have seen it as two old men in the last stages, fighting for money. That would be pathetic.
If AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn wants to make a quick rematch with Dubois, it could work against Joshua. Hearn is a wise owl, and he has obviously calculated in his head how he would play negative for Joshua if he gets into a second bout against the young lion Dubois in early 2025.
IBF heavyweight champion Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) dropped the then 34-year-old Joshua four times in their fight, embarrassing him in front of a massive crowd at Wembley Stadium.
“I hope we have a date soon. He will have a lot of demons playing in his mind. Who knows? People will talk about him,” said Daniel Dubois to BoxNation when asked if he thinks Anthony Joshua will rematch him. “For my part, I’m ready to get out there and show the world that I’m the King. If it takes again, let’s do it. Let’s go.”
Joshua’s demeanor reeks of fear
It doesn’t look like Joshua will take the rematch as he and Hearn have already said they will take the second fight with Dubois. When Joshua lost to Ruiz and Oleksandr Usyk, he immediately talked about getting a rematch against them.
In the case of Dubois, Joshua did not do this, and it suggests that he lacks the self-belief that he can win. Although he speaks of being a warrior, his actions speak of a fighter afraid and unwilling to return to the battlefield and suffer his fate. In other words, Joshua lost his nerve. If AJ was in the army, he should have been removed from the front lines and placed in KP service because he is showing symptoms of battle fatigue.
