Anthony Joshua has admitted he is ready to leave the "dead" UK and return to the US ahead of his comeback fight.
Joshua will return to the ring this weekend for the first time since losing his Saudi Arabia revenge mission against Oleksandr Usyk last August. He will take on Jermaine Franklin at London's O2 arena on Saturday night as he looks to regain momentum in his heavyweight career after back-to-back defeats.
Stakes are extremely high for Joshua who will be roared on by a raucous home crowd in familiar territory. However it will seem different for Joshua to be back given he has now flown out to the US where he has been based for training camp alongside new trainer Derrick James.
And when assessing how preparations have been ahead of his upcoming return test, Joshua has admitted life is extremely different to how it was in the UK. “I was based in the Olympic gym in Sheffield for years," he said at yesterday's press conference. "Obviously, that’s a big setup because you’ve got hundreds of fighters, international fighters coming in.
“In the World Class Boxing Gym in Texas, there’s a few of us pros just putting in the groundwork. That’s probably what you [Eddie Hearn] saw was different is I’m not around 100 other fighters in the gym, it’s just like three or four of us putting in work. It’s been a good camp. It’s good to be back in the UK but everyone knows the UK is a little bit dead.
"I just can’t wait to get back out to Texas and get back to putting in work. Honestly, Derrick [James] is up there as one of the best people I’ve spoke to about boxing. So, I appreciate his time, the fact he took me on because I’m sure he’s a well-sought-after coach and I’m just looking forward to showing him he hasn’t wasted his time by taking on this project.”
Do you think Anthony Joshua can become world champion again? Let us know in the comments section below
Joshua has been training alongside welterweight champion Errol Spence in Texas, and has even been put through his paces by friend and fellow heavyweight Derek Chisora. A win is needed for 'AJ' if he is to return to world title contention, and progression could see him set up high-profile showdowns with Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
And the 33-year-old has named them both on a new short-list of fights he would like before he considers retirement. "If you were to ask me what my ambitions are, one is to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world, the second is my motivation to make money and the third is to fight Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Joe Joyce," he said.
"It is a fight that interests me [Wilder], it's a fight that's interested me for a long time but it has never materialised, just like the Fury fight. I've got to focus on this Jermaine Franklin guy, he's got his own ambitions and I've got my own ambitions as well."
