British professional boxer of Nigerian descent Anthony Joshua is already pondering his options to return to the ring.
Joshua lost the WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO titles to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk last year. In a rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Joshua lost again to Usyk.
Since his defeat, a potential return to the ring against WBC Champion Tyson Fury was teased but negotiations stalled with both parties unable to reach an agreement.
Joshua hinted at returning to ring before the end of the year but has since scrapped those plans until 2023.
Joshua has lost faith in boxing
Joshua has reportedly now lost faith in boxing and the complications that come with making a fight from the business perspective.
In a recent interview, Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom boxing explained why they were unable to make the fight with Fury.
Fury now faces Derek Chisora at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 3, and Hearn explained that the negotiations went on without deadlines from both teams.
Speaking to Boxing Social, Hearn said, “He just sort of lost faith a little bit with boxing because he really wanted to fight Tyson Fury.
“That’s the main reason that he didn’t fight this year. It messed up his mojo. He was just p***** off.
“They say they want to fight me, now I’ve got a deadline, Chisora gets another month to do the deal, and I had to sign it then.
“So, that’s why you’re going to see him (Joshua) fight may be the end of February, but probably March.”
Joshua's next fight
According to Hearn, there are potential suitors such as Dillian Whyte, Andy Ruiz, and Deontay Wilder being lined up for Joshua's return to the ring in 2023.
Should Dillian Whyte beat Jermaine Franklin at the Wembley Arena in London at the end of November he would be the favorite to face Joshua in a rematch.
He also discussed the possibility of a trilogy fight with Ruiz as well as traveling to China to take on Zhang Zhilei in the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing.
He said, "Definitely (Wilder) was one of the names I mentioned to him tonight,”
“I said have you seen Andy Ruiz over there, he went ‘yeah, I’d love to fight him again'. I was like, ‘why? You’re not fighting him again!' He was like ‘why not?’ and I went ‘f*** off’.
"He just wants to fight everybody. It’s just the case of whether he has and it wouldn’t be an easy fight, but an easier fight before he goes into a Deontay Wilder or a Dillian Whyte basically.”
The WBC has now called for a final eliminator between Ruiz and Wilder therefore Joshua's next opponent will most likely be Whyte early in 2023.