Anthony Joshua believes Fabio Wardley is right to take an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois, although many fans have questioned whether a second fight is the best move after the punishment he took in their first encounter.
Wardley activated his rematch clause shortly after suffering an 11th-round stoppage loss to Dubois in one of the year’s most dramatic heavyweight title fights. While some fans have called for Wardley to take time away from the ring and rebuild, Joshua sees no problem with going straight back into the fire.
“100% (Wardley did the right thing). Listen, they’re warriors, what else are they going to do? Unless he needs the time (to recover), I don’t know, but away from his personal life and from a fighting standpoint, if he’s 100% focused and that’s what he wants to do. Do it, man, get in there. This is the championship of the world.” iFL TV about it favoring Wardley taking the rematch.
Joshua’s position differs from many fans who saw Dubois gradually take control after a chaotic opening. Dubois was dropped twice in the first three rounds but recovered, established his jab and began to wear down Wardley before forcing the stoppage in the 11th.
Critics of the rematch believe Wardley will need more than courage to change the result. They point to Dubois’ success behind the jab and argue Wardley relied too heavily on landing a single right hand without consistently setting up his strikes. Others believe a second fight could bring more punishment if the technical problems of the first fight remain unchanged.
Joshua knows the lure of an immediate rematch. He had second fights with both Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk interviewed after suffering defeats. Joshua reclaimed his titles from Ruiz, but was unable to reverse the result against Usyk.
Promoter Frank Warren has already suggested that Wardley-Dubois II could be a UK stadium event before the end of the year.
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Last updated on 2026/06/02 at 18:51
