Promoter Eddie Hearn said Anthony Joshua will want another “big fight” next after the former two-time heavyweight champion vowed to continue despite his shocking defeat to Daniel Dubois in London on Saturday.
Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) dropped Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) several times at Wembley Stadium before he landed the final blow, a crunching right hand, in Round 5 that saw his English rival fall to the canvas for a fourth career loss, while Dubois retained his IBF belt.
Joshua made an appearance at the postfight news conference and insisted he would continue.
“Probably you’re asking: ‘Do I still want to continue fighting?’ Of course I want to continue fighting,” Joshua said.
“That’s what I said is we took a shot at success, and we came up short. What does that mean now? We going to run away? [Or] we going to live to fight another day?”
Dubois came out swinging and got the jump on his opponent, deploying a strong left jab and knocking Joshua down for the first time at the end of Round 1 to cap off a near-perfect opening that left the Wembley crowd — and Joshua — stunned.
“We have to give credit to our opponent as well, Daniel. Well done to him and his team and also thank you to my team as well for the way they prepared for me. There were a few mistakes in there but that’s the name of the game,” Joshua said. “Fine margins can cost you at the top level,”
Hearn declared in the ring that a rematch clause probably would be activated but explained in the postfight news conference that Joshua has an agreement to fight on another Riyadh Season card, and probably would want a rematch.
Hearn said Joshua would want to be in major fights to finish his career, and a tune-up bout next up would be unlikely.
“We have another fight with Riyadh Season and Turki Alalshikh and Daniel Dubois is part of that plan, but so too could be Tyson Fury or another heavyweight,” Hearn said. “I don’t see it being a fight that ends his career, but he’s in the final chapters of the career and that was a big blow because we fancied winning tonight and fighting the winner of Fury and [Oleksandr] Usyk.
“I just know he’s going to want a big fight, I don’t believe he’ll want to come back in February or March for a run out, Helenius or Franklin or these kind of fights. I feel like we’ve done that and the next decision will be very important.”