Anthony Joshua has set his sights on becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion "within the next 16 months" as he prepares to face Jermaine Franklin.
The 33-year-old is not currently in the title picture after losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 and August 2022.
Joshua has tasted defeat in three of his past five bouts, with Andy Ruiz Jr sensationally ending his opponent's unbeaten streak of 22 fights.
But the Briton believes he is on the road back to the top, with a huge showdown against Tyson Fury again being touted should he overcome Franklin at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
"I do and I did want respect from people in the industry that I admire, ex-legends in the game and when you're not a champion any more you feel like that goes away," he said.
"That was definitely something I was yearning for – the respect from ex-champions. When I'd lost it, it was like 'f***, I've lost that invincibility', but it's all good.
“We move forward. I'm not really doing it for that purpose any more because I'm not in that position, but the desire?
"One is definitely to become champion, which I think is possible within the next 16 months.
"I think we've got to see what happens this year with the belts. Let them be competed for and then potentially let them go up in the air and then we'll see where the belts land.
"Then it's about just staying consistent, staying focused on improving for these next 12 to 16 months while I'm in title contention."
Next weekend's fight will be Joshua's first since 2015 that has not been contested with a world title on the line.
"There is definitely not as much nerves," he said. "That kind of pressure, that pressure cooker is off a bit. The pressure was a lot, I can't lie to you.
"But when you want something so bad, I was really pushing that undisputed narrative for so long, that road to undisputed hashtag with all of the brands we work with.
"We pushed it, but now we're at a new stage. We can't look back. We're only looking forward and I see a bright future and that kind of keeps me in good spirits."
Casado hails Barcelona's 'incredible' offside trap after Clasico win
Marc Casado praised Barcelona’s daring high line following a resounding 4-0 Clasico victory against Real Madrid in LaLiga.
The win put an end to Madrid’s aspirations of a record unbeaten run in the league as they were unable to equal Barcelona’s streak of 43 games without loss between 2017 and 2018.
Instead, the Santiago Bernabeu witnessed a finessed Hansi Flick offside trap as the hosts were caught offside a whopping eight times in the first half, representing their joint most on record (since 2003-04) in a single LaLiga match, equalling their tally against Celta Vigo in March 2013.
They were ultimately caught out 12 times in total, and Barcelona midfielder Casado, who bagged an assist, was enamoured by his side's defensive display.
"It's incredible, to have the b**** to have the defensive line this high," he said in the mixed zone.
"We've been doing it all season, the defensive work of this team is spectacular. It's incredible and at the moment it's working for us."
His delight was unsurprising. Barcelona managed to nullify the Real Madrid threat with forward Kylian Mbappe caught offside eight times through the duration of the match.
It is the most by any player in a single game in Europe's top five leagues since Karim Benzema against Eibar in November 2018.
Barcelona were firing at the other end too, as Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace before Lamine Yamal and Raphinha doubled their margin of victory late on.
It means Barcelona now have 10 wins in 11 games so far this season under Flick, leaving them six points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Goalkeeper Inaki Pena, who came through the ranks at Barcelona, has been impressed by the turnaround in form since the coach's off-season arrival.
"I'm super happy now, I am a proper Culer. We suffered a lot towards the end of last season, it was a tough time," he told Barca's official media channels.
"Flick came in and just told us how much we had to believe in ourselves, on a personal level and on a collective level."
Both Casado and Pena came through La Masia, which remains a key source of talent for the Catalan giants.
"We know that this club always brings out very good players from the academy, I don't know how it happens but it always comes out. The work at La Masia is spectacular and that's why we arrive so prepared for the elite," Casado added.
'That s*** wasn't a foul' – Lynx coach Reeve fumes after Liberty clinch WNBA title
Cheryl Reeve lashed out at the officiating after her Minnesota Lynx team lost 67-62 to the New York Liberty in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.
The Liberty clinched their first championship with an overtime victory on Sunday.
Yet Reeve, who has won four titles with the Lynx, was left seething after a disputed foul handed New York's Breanna Stewart the chance to restore parity with 5.2 seconds of the game remaining in regulation time.
She did not hold back during her postgame media duties.
"We know we could have done some things, right, but you shouldn't have to overcome to that extent," Reeve said.
"This s*** ain't that hard. Officiating is not that hard.
"Bring it on, because that s*** was stolen from us.
"This is for a championship, for both teams. Let them decide it. What contact is legal should be the same for both teams."
Reeve was not the only big name to criticise the officiating.
LeBron James posted on X: "I'm sorry but that wasn't a foul! Let the damn players dictate the outcome of a close battle-tested game."
Damian Lillard posted on X, too.
"Refs called this game like they knew the assignment in the second half boy. Great game," he wrote.
While Reeve and the Lynx will have to accept defeat, the Liberty celebrated a famous moment in their history.
"This is something special right here and I'm trying not to cry," said Stewart, who finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and four assists.
"We had some ups and downs. This series was tough but we fought through because we wanted to bring it home to this city and this crowd."
Jonquel Jones top-scored with 17 points and was named the WNBA Finals MVP.
"I could never dream of this," said Jones. "It's the biggest moment and you have to lock in if you want to be a champion. It was all about this and us winning together because we really love each other."
FIA wrong to punish Verstappen for swearing, says Steiner
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said the FIA was wrong to punish Formula One world champion Max Verstappen for swearing.
The Red Bull driver, who won his third world championship title last year, was asked to do community service by the motorsport’s governing body for swearing in a news conference during last month’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Verstappen then protested against the punishment by giving short answers during an official news conference and termed the penalty "ridiculous", going on to say that such decisions could speed up his exit from the sport.
Now, the former Haas boss has weighed in, saying that the FIA should not have “made a big story out of it.”
“Max didn't swear at anybody. He used the f-word about his car. So nobody got offended by it, in my opinion,” said Steiner, who departed Haas at the start of the year.
"The best way [to handle it] would have been not to make a big story of it. Sit down with the drivers, they have a meeting every weekend, and say: 'Hey, guys, can you tone it down a little bit? We are the FIA, we don't really like this.'
"But don't say: 'If you do, you get a fine, a penalty, whatever.' Because you know these guys, they've got an ego as well. And they say: 'I don't want to do that.' And then what do you create? All this controversy - for nothing."
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