Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua had "the worst start you could ever imagine" against Daniel Dubois, talks post-fight atmosphere
Eddie Hearn has revisited Anthony Joshua's defeat against Daniel Dubois and stated that 'AJ' had the most undesirable start possible against Dubois. The Matchroom Boxing head honcho also recounted the atmosphere post-fight in the Joshua corner.
Former two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua suffered a fifth-round KO defeat against IBF heavyweight champion Dubois at Wembley Stadium in London, England, on Sept. 21, 2024. Joshua was dazed early, and Dubois piled on the pressure before finally putting him away in the fifth.
Speaking to iFL TV's Kugan Cassius, Anthony Joshua's longtime promoter Eddie Hearn reiterated his stance that anything can happen in a fight. Hearn stated:
"By the way, you know, when people say, 'It was a massive, massive shock. Upset.' I don't really feel like that. Now, the way the fight played out, was more of a shock. But I felt this was a very, very tough and dangerous fight as it should be for a world title."
He added:
"A couple of things, like, obviously, the worst start you could ever imagine, and made some basic mistakes early in the fight that really cost him. And he never really recovered. But when we was in the changing room after, it was weird, because the fight was playing. Right? All the replays were playing because we had the broadcast on. And no one turned it off."
Moreover, Hearn explained that in most changing rooms after a defeat, the fighter's team generally unplugs any screens that may show replays of the fight. He noted that in Anthony Joshua's locker room after the Daniel Dubois fight, no one did so, and replays were being broadcast.
Hearn recalled that Joshua was sitting next to his coach Ben Davison and asking him what happened. The veteran promoter highlighted that Davison pointed out that 'AJ' made a few mistakes in the fight and did things he'd been cautioned against.
Moreover, Hearn recounted chiming in during the locker room interactions. Apparently, he lauded Joshua for displaying the heart and courage to pick himself up off the canvas multiple times and try to knock his foe out until the very end:
"And I sort of -- there was, I don't know, 30 people in the changing room. And I sort of said, 'Look, can I just say one thing? You showed so much bottle.'"
Check out Hearn's comments below:
Watch Hearn's complete interview below (comments at 2:15):
Eddie Hearn on potential Daniel Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua rematch
Daniel Dubois is seemingly eyeing the winner of the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury rematch. Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua has promised to continue his career despite his latest setback. The 34-year-old appears to be steadfast in his quest to become a three-time heavyweight champion. During the in-ring post-fight interview segment, Eddie Hearn said:
"Yeah. I'm sure he'll exercise that rematch clause."
Watch Hearn address the rematch clause below (7:44):
In a subsequent interview with Sky Sports, the interviewer requested Eddie Hearn to shed light on his remarks regarding the rematch clause. He responded by asserting that Anthony Joshua does have another fight with 'Riyadh Season.'
However, Hearn indicated that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh would have to get Dubois' promoter (Queensberry Promotions' Frank Warren) to agree to the rematch for it to materialize.
Watch Hearn's assessment below: