Anthony Joshua may not engage in a risky rematch with Daniel Dubois after all, according to Saudi adviser Turki Al-Sheikh.
In September, Dubois dropped Joshua three times en route to a fifth-round knockout win, retaining the IBF heavyweight belt against his fellow Briton.
Talk quickly turned to a rematch of the Wembley showdown, but Dubois has since been paired with Joseph Parker, who will challenge the 27-year-old in Riyadh in February.
When Al-Sheikh was asked about Joshua vs Dubois 2 on Thursday, he told iFL TV: “Of course I want to see it again, but I don’t think it will happen again.”
Joshua’s other main option for his next bout is a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, yet – as ever – there are complications there.
Fury, who challenges Oleksandr Usyk for the unified titles on Saturday, is contracted for a trilogy fight with the Ukrainian, 37, if he emerges victorious in Riyadh.
In May, Usyk outpointed Fury in the same Saudi city to become undisputed heavyweight champion. In doing so, the former cruiserweight king stayed unbeaten and handed the Briton his first professional loss.
So, Joshua faces an uncertain 2025. The 35-year-old could face a beaten Fury, 36, if the “Gypsy King” loses to Usyk again, though “AJ” vs Fury would have lost much of its lustre in that case.
Should Parker beat Dubois in February, Joshua could angle for a title shot against the New Zealander, whom he beat on points in 2018.
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Parker is now riding a five-fight win streak, having beaten Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang in his last two outings. Parker, 32, defeated both men on points – Wilder in December 2023 and Zhang in March of this year.
