why did anthony joshua turn down dubois rematch ?

There's two main reasons...

1) Sometimes there's more to lose by going 0-2 than there is to gain by getting back to 1-1.

Look at the Ruiz fights - the only thing AJ really gained was his belts back... In terms of credit, or even persuading people it was a fluke? Forget it.

2) There's a decent chance he'd lose.


It'll get held against him for a while not going for the rematch, but honestly it probably won't last that long...
Look how many people actually hold Fury to account for avoiding a Wlad rematch - looks how much the uncertainty benefits him, reputationally - he did the right thing for his rep to swerve, as most people just give him a pass for it.

 

Hearn and Joshua rightfully doubt Joshua can avenge the loss.

 

Exactly.

For the same reason Fury ducked the Wlad rematch he'd have been likely to lose...

It's a bit like the old saying that "sometimes it's better to sit silently and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"... Sit there without a rematch and people will make assumptions, some will attack you and some will defend you - but take it and lose, and everyone will know it was/wasn't a fluke.

Given Joshua's on the decline and Dubois is still improving, it's the kind of rematch that should've been immediate or not at all.

 

Really stretching the imagination there.

Fury beat Wlad. Dubois totally humiliated Joshua.

 

Not really.

Fury, as the underdog, narrowly squeezed past Wlad in a fight where Fury himself (I think rightly) claimed he needed to be perfect.

With question marks over Wlads mindset/preparation and Fury's consistency re mistakes, it's certainly far from a certainty that that wasn't a fluke to some degree... It certainly warranted a rematch to find out.

Dubois was the underdog against Joshua and did damage early - he fought well, but did it look as dominant as it did because of levels or was there some luck involved? It's hard to tell without a rematch.


In general, I think rematches are interesting/valuable when underdogs win.

 

Points for imagination.

 

Joshua avoided after losing, Fury after winning. Not quite the same situation.

But is it correct that Fury avoided Klitschko? I did not quite follow things so closely back then but fury did balloon up to 300 pounds and was in no fighting condition. That does not seem to me like he did it in order to avoid Klitschko but rather for personal reasons.

 

True - in both cases, they had plenty to prove by taking the rematch, though...

If nothing else it certainly could/should be argued that both had the most to prove by taking it.

(As I mentioned before, I find rematches more understandable/forgivable when the underdog wins - upsets can and do happen in boxing, and I think the more proven fighter should get an opportunity to set the record straight)

There were some excuses made IIRC - whether it's entirely fair say he went out of his way to duck it is debatable...

A plausible motivation exists, if he were inclined to (and given how long he avoided Usyk and even Joshua, it doesn't seem out of character?).


The main point is, though, that regardless of why the rematches didn't happen - in time, Joshua will probably get forgiven for not avenging it just as Fury typically gets full credit for Klitschko despite it not happening.

 

perhaps because he's seen the rematch between Foreman and Frazier?

AJ isn't an idiot. He can look honestly at that fight and realize a rematch would just be a repeat. That's damage he doesn't need -- I saw a couple clips of AJ from years ago speaking, compared him to today, and... yeah, he's got some damage. He still speaks clearly but MUCH more slowly and simply.

AJ should stay in shape, keep chasing the Fury fight for a cash out. He's a two-time champ, has nothing left to prove, accomplished more than most men who have ever stepped foot in a ring; not the best champ ever, not by a longshot, but in his prime he'd have beaten a lot of them. Get the cash out, retire now, don't end up ruined.

 

Fury blew up to 400+. He could probably fight just fine at 300, honestly; he's done it in the 280s.

 

Cope

 

What? How is that... never mind. It´s because I had the audacity to say something remotely positive about Joshua, so you completely misunderstood my comment.

 

Posts like these are hilarious. It's quite literally a Joshua fanboy dreaming up scenarios about intangibles of fights. "Vlad was demotivated and that's why Fury beat him, Joshua got unlucky"

Totally bizarre.

 

There is nothing remotely positive about Joshua Ruiz 2. Nothing.

 

Yup they're still around.