Professional heavyweight boxing ended 2024 with one of the biggest rematches in recent history between Queensbury Promotion’s Tyson Fury and Ukrainian hero Oleksandr Usyk.
2025 could very well be another year when enormous heavyweight rematches dominate the headlines; although Frank Warren has now opened up on why one such rematch might not happen.
Frank Warren makes shock proclamation about Joshua vs Dubois rematch
It’s been four months since Anthony Joshua was brutally knocked out by Daniel Dubois, with boxing fans around the world speculating on why an immediate rematch hasn’t yet been announced.
Well, as it turns out, there wasn’t even a rematch clause in place; as Queensbury Promotions boss Frank Warren confirmed during a conversation with Seconds Out.
“There was no rematch clause,” disclosed Warren, quickly noting that whilst the door remains open to an AJ vs Dubois 2 super-fight, they’re under no contractual obligation to accept it.
“There was no rematch clause but when he kept saying that he wanted it, so if he wants it, he can have it – but there was no rematch clause [for that fight].”
Such clauses often cause immense confusion within the global boxing community, and whilst Warren understands that it’s a complicated matter, acknowledged that it’s his job to do what’s best for his clients.
“The other side of it, and I hear that [frustration], but you’ve got to protect your fighter’s interest. So, if my fighter is a champion and he’s fighting some other guy, somebody else’s fighters and it’s a voluntary defense, then I’m going to protect his best interests.
“And the reason most times you ask about a rematch, what happens if there is a clash of heads or there’s a cut and so forth – I don’t want my guy losing a title like that, and that’s why there are rematch clauses.”
Rematch clauses can work in favor, or against a client depending on both the nature of the fight and the finer details of the contract; for this particular matchup, it’s Dubois who holds the leverage.
“And it can also be at the detriment because you might get stuck with it, but the bottom line is that you’re looking after your client – that’s what this is about.”
Would Frank Warren ever make Daniel Dubois vs Tyson Fury?
If Tyson Fury wants to get back into the world championship business as quickly as possible, arguably the fastest route back to the top would be through IBF champion Daniel Dubois.
But with both ‘Dynamite’ and ‘The Gypsy King’ being signed to Warren’s Queensbury Promotions, would that super-fight even be considered by Warren?
“Look, I’ve made fights between fighters that we have [on our books] for years and years, the business we’re in is called professional boxing and it happens.
“And I was uncomfortable in some of those fights, you know if you’ve got two fighters, you don’t want to knock one of them off, but it happens and if that fight happens down the road, that’s going to be on the choice of the two boxers – that’s the truth of the matter.”
Whilst Warren stated that he would be open to making a Dubois vs Fury showdown, that doesn’t mean that he’d want to see his two superstar clients facing off against one another.
“Me? I hope it doesn’t. I don’t want to see the two of them in the ring together because I’m a bit too close to them – I shouldn’t do that, it’s business at the end of the day – but I don’t know.
“It’d make a lot of money… But I would feel pretty uncomfortable. My life doesn’t depend on making that fight, it’s not going to make any difference to what I’ll be eating or drinking next week. It’s a great fight, there’s no doubt about it but I would be uncomfortable doing that.”
Who would you back in a potential Dubois vs Fury showdown?