Anthony Joshua reveals return timeline and heavyweight title plan involving Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua is currently reveling in his triumphs since his remarkable return last year following consecutive setbacks dealt by Oleksandr Usyk.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion stretched his undefeated run to four matches last month, sending Francis Ngannou to the canvas twice before sealing the deal in the second round.

'AJ' has been assured a shot at the undisputed world title in a potential future showdown, but he must await the outcome of the Tyson Fury vs. Usyk bout and their subsequent rematch. This anticipated wait is estimated to extend for slightly more than a year.

During his recent appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show (via Marca), Joshua fielded questions about his retirement plans and whether he intends to wait for the outcome of the Fury vs. Usyk fight before scheduling his next bout.

'AJ' replied:

"I’ve always said 35. I’m 35 in October, I’m thinking another two years or so if my body holds out. I’ve set up certain businesses that I can transition into naturally which don’t rely on me being at the forefront."

He added:

"My next opponent will be around September, is when I've been told. I was hoping for June. I've got some time to go on dates now and mingle a little bit. I'm training at the minute, I've got two months before I get into training camp."

Joshua's next fight is targeted for Wembley Stadium in September, with speculation pointing towards a showdown against the victor of the potential bout between Filip Hrgovic and Daniel Dubois.

The anticipated fight could contend for the IBF world title, a title that may become vacant if Fury or Usyk proceed with their rematch plans. This scenario presents an opportunity for the Brit to compete for a third championship title in front of his home crowd before the year's end.

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Anthony Joshua's strategy to harness Tyson Fury's trash talk as motivation

Anthony Joshua cautioned Tyson Fury that he intends to utilize his compatriot's verbal jabs as motivation when they eventually face off in the squared circle. Despite their paths seemingly destined to converge since 'AJ' claimed the world championship in 2016, a bout between the two fighters has yet to materialize.

Expressing aspirations to fight 'The Gypsy King' in the future, Joshua stated his intention to leverage Fury's extensive catalog of insults to aid in his preparation for the possible showdown.

During the same interview with Jonathan Ross, 'AJ' remarked:

"You want to punish them for what they said about you… [Fury] is someone I want to compete with one day, so everything he says, I’ve got it all stored in the back of my memory, and when the fight happens, I’m going to use it as a lot of fuel."

Check out Anthony Joshua's comments below: