Rematch clauses can often get a bad rap in boxing, but they are very much part of the contract negotiations for many of the top level fighters.
In recent years there have been plenty of high-profile rematches that have been triggered soon after initial fights have ended. Last year, Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr fought back to back contests with the result reversed from one fight to the next.
Before that, Anthony Joshua took on Oleksandr Usyk twice in a row but failed to regain the belts he lost in the initial contest, and Tyson Fury ended up fighting Deontay Wilder three times over multiple years owing to the legal situation between the two.
Next up for Joshua is a big clash with Francis Ngannou on March 8 to close the Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia. He will be hoping to beat the former UFC champion turned boxing novice in destructive fashion to get himself back to the top table.
The fight comes following Fury’s less-than-perfect 10-round contest with the Cameroonian-Frenchman which included him being put on the canvas in the third round.
But is there a contracted rematch between the two big hitters? Speaking to Second Out, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn was asked outright.
“No.”
He went to discuss the fight itself and the challenge it poses to Joshua, while Ngannou spoke again of testing Joshua’s chin.
“Well the good news is we now have some tape to work on, but bad news is his confidence must be through the roof after that Fury fight. This is a guy that’s very strong.”
He was then asked about Joshua’s relationship with Ben Davison, who was in his corner for the first time last time out in December against Wallin.
“They worked fantastically well for the Otto Wallin fight. Ben is very, very good at breaking down the fights and AJ Needs those tactics drummed into him in the right way to have belief in the fight. They did a great job before and I expect them to do a great job this time.”