Tony Bellew has been speaking about what might happen if Anthony Joshua gets his rematch with Daniel Dubois.
The first fight between these two Brits was back in September 2024. Going into the contest, Dubois was one of the form men in the division. He had beaten Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic – both by stoppage after coming through plenty of pressure – and announced himself on the world stage while also being elevated to IBF champion.
Joshua had rebuilt after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk with a trio of knockout victories over Francis Ngannou, Otto Wallin and Robert Helenius.
However, the former two-time world champion soon came unstuck against his countryman. He was put down heavy at the end of the first round and then Dubois finished the job in the fifth with a conclusive knockout.
Speaking to First Round TV, Bellew was asked how a second fight would go and still backed ‘AJ.’
“If they were to have a rematch I’d favour Josh going in. He has better attributes than Daniel Dubois, but it’s all about the mindset.”
There was talk of an immediate rematch but Joshua instead took time out to recover from injury. He was also hoping to secure a blockbuster showdown with long-time rival Tyson Fury, though Fury instead retired at the start of the year.
Dubois was scheduled to fight in February against Joseph Parker, however he fell ill and pulled out, and has now been mandated to defend his strap against 49 fight veteran Derek Chisora.
The more likely fight for the 27-year-old remains a rematch with Usyk for the undisputed crown, while Joshua himself may take on Parker should Fury remain in retirement.
