Anthony Joshua has declared he won't fight until December despite initially planning to return this summer.
The former world heavyweight champion was successful in his first fight since losing twice to Oleksandr Usyk, beating Jermaine Franklin at the O2 in London with a dominant decision. However, fans and pundits felt he would need another major tune-up before he could return to world contention after failing to land a statement knockout, or even a knockdown.
But it now appears the Brit will be made wait until December for his next outing, despite promoter Eddie Hearn insisting no decisions have been made as yet. Joshua was keen to stay active, and has previously bemoaned his champion's schedule of one or two fights a year.
"My next fight is scheduled for December," Joshua told his 15.2million followers in a disappointing Instagram update yesterday. "Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture." However, Hearn later insisted "nothing [is] decided" when a fan asked him for comment on Twitter.
Joshua was recently critical of his old rival Usyk for not fighting since their August meeting, but also noted how difficult it is for champions to remain active. He had pushed for more than his regular schedule while he had the belts, but with the size of his events at major stadiums, he was limited in what could be put on.
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“It’s tough, man. I’m telling you, being a champion, it ain’t easy at all," Joshua told reporters before the Franklin fight. "Look at Usyk – he ain’t even got a fight date, bro. He’s a champion of the world. I was the last guy he fought and I’m fighting on Saturday. He’s a champion. He should’ve been out twice by now. Being a champion should mean that you’re busy, you’re out, you’re active, you’re fighting. But it’s a f***ing headache.”
And it's the headaches at the top end of the sport that have caused Joshua to give up on his old dream of becoming undisputed champion, telling reporters before the bout: “I’m done with all that. Undisputed‘s a headache. I’ve been chasing that for a long time. That’s a whole headache. I’ll just get my hands on one of the titles."
Joshua had been keen to head straight into a summer showdown with long-time rival and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. However, it then appeared that Hearn was more keen on a gradual step up in levels with Dillian Whyte emerging as the more likely opponent for the next outing.
