Dubois and Fans Wait for Joshua's Comeback to Happen

Anthony Joshua postpones his comeback after a devastating loss, changing the heavyweight scene and making Dubois hungry for his next challenge

Anthony Joshua retreats: Following a devastating defeat to Daniel Dubois, the former champion postpones his comeback to the ring, keeping the heavyweight division and fans in suspense / Fayez Nureldine/AFP Via Getty Images.

By Miriam Onyango

Anthony Joshua's decision to postpone his comeback to the ring has raised questions about the outcome of his eagerly awaited rematch with Daniel Dubois.

The 35-year-old heavyweight champion is still in shock after his knockout loss to Dubois in September in front of a record 96,000 spectators at Wembley, and he has not yet set a date for his comeback.

Joshua's loss cost him the opportunity to win the IBF heavyweight title again, and supporters have been anxiously awaiting news of a rematch, which was originally anticipated to happen in Saudi Arabia or the United Kingdom.

The event was supported by boxing promoter Turki Alalshikh, and Dubois was eager to defend his title as soon as possible, therefore a preliminary date of February 22 was suggested. Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn, however, has dashed expectations for a fight in early 2025, indicating that Joshua is unlikely to make a comeback until the following summer.

Responding to a fan query on Instagram, Hearn said, “He had five fights in 18 months, he will be fine. Back in the summer,” said Hearn on Instagram answering a fan's question.

Due to the delay, Dubois' plans have changed, since he is still keen to play. The future is still up in the air, as fans are waiting to find out who will face the IBF champion next.

“I think it's a smart business decision to just sit and wait to see what happens with Fury and Usyk. I mean, it wouldn't be my decision but then not everyone thinks like me. I'm also not dealing on the same kind of business level as Anthony Joshua. Going back into camp so soon after such a shell shock defeat is very hard to do. He’s getting his head round things with a little bit of time away from the game. But I'm not going to lie, I also think he was one or two shots away from winning the fight,” said Tony Bellew In an exclusive interview with BestOffshoreSportsbook.