Daniel Dubois vs Anthony Joshua rematch: Truth revealed about second fight clause
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Boxing promoter Frank Warren has sensationally revealed that Daniel Dubois has no contractual obligation to give Anthony Joshua a rematch. Dubois won the inaugural IBF interim heavyweight title following a stunning win over Filip Hrgovic last June. The knockout win over the Croatian earned himself a whopping blockbuster showdown with Joshua - a two-time heavyweight champion - at Wembley Stadium, London, three months later.
'AJ' was a huge favourite going into the heavyweight dust-up as the Brit looked to become a world champion again. However, 'Triple D' shocked the world on fight night, knocking his rival down four times in total before securing a sensational knockout in the fifth round to retain his IBF title.
Immediately after the contest, many within the boxing community assumed Joshua would chase the immediate rematch - that said, there were a few that advised against it. However, the truth has now been revealed as Dubois' promoter, Warren, claimed there wasn’t even a rematch clause in place.
During a recent conversation with Seconds Out, Warren said: “There was no rematch clause.” The 72-year-old stated that the door remains open to a rematch between the two stars, but they're under no contractual obligation to accept it. Warren added: “There was no rematch clause but when he kept saying that he wanted it, so if he wants it, he can have it – but there was no rematch clause [for that fight].”.
Back in November, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn opened up on the injury which prevented 'AJ' from fighting Dubois in early 2025. In an interview with Boxing News, he said: "We had a very awkward call with 'AJ' and his medical team. He wanted to fight in February and basically was told 'there is no way you can start camp and be 100% for February, physically'. There’s nothing major. There’s two or three issues that he had a little bit in camp but also after the fight as well. And they said you need to come back in May-June and he didn’t want to do it. He wanted to fight in February, but unfortunately we kind of had to overrule him on this and say no because we can’t afford not to get this right.".
