Joshua vs. Dubois 2: Turki Al-Sheikh hints at AJ’s decision to rematch

Anthony Joshua may not commit to 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 victory to retain the IBF heavyweight belt against his compatriot.

Talks quickly turned to a repeat 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 asked about Joshua vs Dubois 2 on Thursday, Al-Sheikh 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 fight is a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, but – as always – there are complications there.

Fury, who will challenge Oleksandr Usyk for the unified titles on Saturday, is signed for a trilogy fight with the 37-year-old Ukrainian if he emerges victorious in Riyadh.

In May, Usyk defeated Fury in the same Saudi city to become the undisputed heavyweight champion. This left the former cruiserweight king undefeated and handed the Brit his first professional defeat.

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So Joshua faces an uncertain 2025. The 35-year-old could face a beaten Fury (36) if the “Gypsy King” loses to Usyk again, although “AJ” would have lost much of his luster against Fury in that case.

Should Parker beat Dubois in February, Joshua could hope for the title against the New Zealander, whom he defeated on points in 2018.

Parker is now on a five-fight winning streak, having defeated 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 this year.