After his win over Jermaine Franklin earlier this month, Anthony Joshua has declared that he will not be returning to the ring until December.
Post Nigeria gathered that despite being linked to potential fights against Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury, Joshua hinted at a prolonged hiatus from boxing due to a nose injury sustained during the fight.
In an Instagram post, he explained that his upcoming fight was scheduled for December and that this delay was a necessary part of a bigger plan.
Joshua, who lost his unified WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and failed to regain them in a rematch last year, is now expected to make a comeback later this year.
Speaking after the Frankin win he said, “I’m going to keep on pushing and plugging away. Maybe I could have let my hands go more [against Franklin]. Maybe this, maybe that.
“That’s all the past now and all we can look forward to is what’s going to happen in the future. It’s just good to be back and getting the ball rolling. We’re climbing, we’re climbing the ladder once again.”
Joshua called for a heavyweight showdown against British rival Fury after he battled to a points win over Jermaine Franklin.
Joshua previously acknowledged he would have considered retiring had he lost to Franklin. But he promises his enthusiasm for the sport is undimmed.
“I’m passionate. Self-driven. Motivated. No one forces me to do this. No one forces me to get up in the morning and run. It’s tough,” he said. “It’s tough sometimes.
“But there’s something in you that’s like, ‘Come on, you’ve got to fight, you’ve got to win.’ The minute you start losing that desire, you’ve got to be real with yourself.”
He knows that moment will arrive for him one day. One day he will have to stop.
“There is no ticking timebomb that I could actually tell you when it’s going to detonate. But there’s a reality,” he said.
However, he noted: “The reality I’m living is, we’re still chasing something. I’m still chasing the dream.
“I’m definitely passionate about the game. Still. For so many reasons. The list is long and I’m committed until it’s done.”
