talkSPORT’s Adam Catterall believes there is another top heavyweight more deserving of a fight with Daniel Dubois than Anthony Joshua.

Dubois scored a shock fifth-round knockout victory over Joshua last month at Wembley Stadium in front of over 98,000 fans.

Joshua and Dubois are deep in negotiations over a rematchGetty

The Watford powerhouse was dropped four times en route to the eventual stoppage and was completely outgunned.

Despite the one-sidedness of the fight, a rematch is being explored for February next year.

Joshua’s manager Freddie Cunningham was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this week as talks progressed.

While a deal hasn’t been completed just yet both sides are keen to get it over the line and discussions are said to be moving fast.

The news that Joshua and Dubois are edging closer to finalising terms was met with a mixed response at talkSPORT towers.

Spencer Oliver acknowledged the value of a second fight but Catterall wasn’t best pleased.

“You’re talking about a world title challenger losing and then calling for a rematch,” he said during the most recent episode of the talkBOXING podcast, which is set to be released at 8pm on the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube channel.

“Then you have Joseph Parker who has smashed everyone to pieces…

“If we are trying to change the sport and build some kind of meritocracy….

“And I get that it is a business and everything else at the end of the day, you can sell Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois as a rematch and Daniel Dubois will be licking his chops he just blew him out in five rounds, of course he is going to want it.

talkSPORT’s Catterall would prefer to see Parker in the ring with Dubois next@adamcatterall – instagram

Parker is the WBO ‘interim’ champion and beat Zhilei Zhang last time outGETTY

“But for me, Joseph Parker has earned the right [to fight Dubois].

“He beat Zhang, he has beaten Deontay Wilder. He is a better fighter than he was when he was a world champion.

“I think he should be next for Daniel Dubois… Why are we doing Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois again?”

Simon Jordan concurred with Catterall’s point: “We can all be a bit pious about it, but we know why, it is because Anthony Joshua is the biggest name in boxing.

“For whatever reason his achievements don’t match his name, with respect, and he brings the juice to the table.

“If any other heavyweight was cleaned out the way he was everyone would be saying he is done, he is finished, no longer a commercial proposition, but he gets another shot.”

Parker has undergone a dramatic career resurgence following his stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in 2022.

The Kiwi bounced back from the devastating defeat by winning five fights straight including a pair of wins over Wilder and Zhilei Zhang last time out.

He is currently the WBO ‘interim’ champion, meaning he is in the running to face the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury II on December 21 for the WBA, WBO and WBC belts.

The IBF has ordered a separate eliminator bout between Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole to determine who is next in line to challenge for Dubois’ belt.