Lewis sends warning to Anthony Joshua over Dubois rematch

Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has issued a stark warning to Anthony Joshua, urging the former two-time heavyweight champion to make “drastic changes” if he hopes to compete with Daniel Dubois in a potential rematch.

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Dubois claimed the IBF heavyweight title with a dominant performance over Joshua on September 21, knocking him down four times before delivering a fifth-round knockout in front of a packed 98,000 crowd at Wembley. The impressive victory has sparked talk of a rematch, but Lewis believes Joshua must make significant adjustments to have any chance at redemption.

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Praising Dubois for his “unbelievable performance” in their initial bout, Lewis advised Joshua, who aimed to become a three-time world champion with this fight. He stressed that Joshua must “look deep within” and make essential changes to his style and approach before stepping back into the ring with Dubois.

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“Joshua needs to ask himself if he truly wants this,” Lewis told Boxing News. “If he does, he must recognise what went wrong and make the necessary changes. Without that, Dubois will be right back on him.”

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Bluntly assessing the chances of a rematch, Lewis added, “It’s going to be more of the same unless Joshua makes those drastic changes. Dubois will be even more prepared to go after him the second time around.”

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The boxing legend drew on his own experience facing Hasim Rahman, underscoring the importance of self-reflection and strategy after a tough defeat.

“For me, it was easy because of how I lost. I lost with basically a one-punch type of thing. The guy threw a punch, and my chin happened to be in the way of it. Before I left the fight, I already knew what I needed to do to win the rematch,” Lewis explained.

As speculation around a rematch builds, all eyes are on Joshua to see if he will heed Lewis’ advice, make the necessary adjustments, and reclaim his title to reshape his legacy.