So who thinks the Joshua-Klitschko rematch will happen?
Sky's headlines yesterday suggest so, but if you listen to the actual interview with Hearn, Klitschko still hasn't indicated his interest. They're expecting to hear back this week. So the conclusion jumped to is somewhat empty for me at this stage.
I can't see Klitschko faring any better in a rematch than he did first time around. Probably, he fares worse. He should have won the first fight in my opinion, but it doesn't automatically follow that a rematch is a good idea for him. He improved greatly from the Fury showing, but he still hadn't adjusted his 'safety first' mindset enough to be victorious. In fairness to him, Joshua did look finished (for a few rounds at least) from the end of round 5 onward, so perhaps his approach wasn't all that off. The comeback Joshua produced was phenomenal, and he'll be even more confident next time. The only way Wlad wins a rematch in my opinion is by KO'ing Joshua clean, early. He's capable of doing that, but it just isn't 'him'. And in any case, if it does go 'bombs away', the odds are in Joshua's favour, so it probably isn't an advisable tactic. So it's hugely unlikely. He's a better boxer than Joshua, but outboxing him over 12 rounds, or more importantly staying out of the way of trouble, looks equally hard to see. Afterall, he couldn't manage it the first time.
I'd be surprised if he takes the fight, but who knows. We'll find out soon enough.