Anthony Joshua will be fighting again this year and is ready to take on all opponents after removing any doubts about his future as a result of yet another loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua declared, “I am a fighter for life, hunger never dies” as he plans to return to the ring in December, where he will begin to recover after losing a split decision to the Ukrainian star in Jeddah. .
Promoter Eddie Hearn wants Joshua to fight three or four fights next year, with the goal of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion.
While the 32-year-old slipped to the third defeat of his career, a cathartic performance that righted wrongs at Tottenham Hotspur last September means he remains a force in the division even if he is no longer at his peak.
“I spoke to Eddie and asked if it would be possible to leave in November because momentum is important in boxing. Eddie said in December,” Joshua said.
“If that’s who I’m fighting for, come on, all of you. Anyone who wants can get it, I don’t care.”
Usyek continues his unification battle with Tyson Fury in hopes of adding the WBC belt to the WBA, IBF and WBO titles he successfully defended on a thrilling night at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Meanwhile, Joshua will campaign in Division Two, where Dillian White, Deontay Wilder and Joe Joyce are lucrative options as he racked up more rounds against less dangerous opponents.
Hearn has promised a busier schedule for the man whose future fights DAZN will be showing as part of a £86m deal that has been put on hold to allow Sky Sports to broadcast the Usyk match again on pay-per-view in the UK.
“We want to see AJ active. There were a lot of gaps between fights,” Hearn said.
Turning to Joshua, he added, “You had to make an effort to bring the sport into our country. You never had the easy fights because you wanted to complete a résumé.
Eddie Hearn praised Joshua for his impact on sports (Nick Potts/PA)
(PA wire)
“I wanted to fight the elite. You fought pound for pound on your back. Here I lost by split decision to the best fighter in the sport. Everyone had vacated the WBO belt before the Spurs fight, but AJ didn’t have an easy touch.
“I would like to see him have fun again, and go back to the pressures of getting back to the championship belt. Now he’s going to really start having fun.”
Whatever he produces in the ring for years to come, Hearn insists that Joshua’s impact on British boxing has been profound.
“We wouldn’t be here now, neither of us would be in this room, without Anthony Joshua. Our business wouldn’t be what it is without Anthony Joshua,” Hearn said.
“No boxer would have made this much money in the UK without Anthony Joshua. He has taken the sport in terms of popularity and attracted broadcasters and sponsors to another level.
“Fighters benefit because of the growth he brought into the sport. If the public doesn’t respect him for what he did, you can give up.”
