Dillian Whyte believes he should be Anthony Joshua's next opponent, claiming the 33-year-old is wasting his time by pursuing a bout against Tyson Fury.

Having suffered back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk to cede his heavyweight belts, Joshua returned to the ring to beat Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision in London on Saturday.

After winning what was his first non-title fight in 12, Joshua called out WBC heavyweight champion Fury, who recently saw negotiations over an undisputed bout with Usyk fall through.

However, Whyte – who was ringside for Joshua's victory at the O2 Arena – does not believe Fury will accept the fight, and he wants a chance to atone for a 2015 defeat against Joshua.

Asked why he believed a rematch could be on the cards, Whyte told Sky Sports: "It's a logical fight. Fury is not a person to negotiate with, because he'll mess you around.

"If he's being offered unified heavyweight champion [by Usyk] and not taking it, what is Joshua going to offer him to take the fight? Nothing.

"He's obviously seeing Joshua as way beneath him, the fight isn't going to happen. I don't know why they are wasting their time.

"There is someone here who is willing to fight and ready to go, but for some reason Joshua seems to – I don't know if it's a tactic of his – brush it under the carpet."

Joshua had lost three of his previous five fights ahead of his win over Franklin, and Whyte believes his rival has been scarred by those defeats.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to take risks anymore," he said of Joshua. "I don't know if it's money that has made him soft, or if it's the defeats. 

"Getting knocked out and getting outclassed, I think it's more that than money, to be honest."

Anthony Joshua put the ball in Tyson Fury's court after calling his rival out following victory over Jermaine Franklin.

A unanimous decision triumph against Franklin at the O2 Arena on Saturday brought an end to a two-fight losing streak for Joshua, who swiftly set his sights on a bigger opportunity.

Joshua's clash against Franklin was his first non-title fight in 12 bouts and, if he gets his way, will return to familiar ground next time out.

Fury and Joshua have negotiated for a 'Battle of Britain' clash in previous years without securing an agreement, but the 'Gypsy King's' failure to set up an undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk has opened the door again.

With Usyk expected to defend his belts against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, Fury's next move is not clear, and Joshua has issued his challenge.

"I know who the fans want… They said Fury. The ball is in his court," Joshua told DAZN in the ring after his win.

"I would 100 per cent be honoured to compete for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. I stand here and I say that proudly. It would be an honour.

"Wherever you are, if you're listening, you know my management, you know my promoter. We've had dialect before, so let's continue and hopefully we can get this done sooner rather than later. We're not getting any younger.

"I can't wait to get back to Texas, to develop and push on. You know how one fight leads to another; I can't wait to get the next big fight."

Promising a new dawn against Franklin, Joshua fell short of expectations despite having the upper hand throughout, acknowledging he should have earned a stoppage.

"Someone else would knock him out, probably, but Jermaine has a good duck and dive style," he added.

"There were opportunities there but he knows how to tuck up. Respect to him, he done well, I respect him for that.

"Well done to him and his team for preparing. I should have knocked him out but what can I say now, it's done, onto the next."

Anthony Joshua returned to winning ways by beating Jermaine Franklin via unanimous decision at O2 Arena on Saturday.

Entering the content having lost three of his past five, including the last two against Oleksandr Usyk to cede his heavyweight belts, Joshua faced his first non-title fight in 12 bouts.

The Brit's camp promised a new dawn for fans of the Olympian, but, despite being in control throughout against Franklin, he showed there was still plenty of work left on his comeback trail.

While Franklin did well to shrug off some heavy hits, he never truly mustered much of a threat and the scorecards reflected what was a largely one-sided affair.

Joshua came out of his corner firing, landing a powerful left jab in the first round and following it up with further shots in the second when he countered a Franklin hit to respond with a strike to the body.

Franklin then began to grow in confidence, sensing there may be an opportunity for an upset, before Joshua came the closest he would to a knockout blow after connecting with a big right-hand uppercut but missing his left swing.

Frustration then began to show for AJ, with Franklin halting any momentum he gained by holding his opponent, and Joshua struggled to create an opening to land a strong overhand right to follow up his consistent jabs.

Both fighters had big shots in the latter rounds, with Franklin surely aware he needed a knockout to clinch victory.

But that hit never came for the American and the scores ringside reflected a routine, albeit uninspiring, win for Joshua.

Scorecards: 118-111, 117-111, 117-111

Anthony Joshua weighed in at a career-heavy 18st 3lb for Saturday's bout against Jermaine Franklin, which Eddie Hearn suggested was a sign he had "bad intentions for this fight".

Heavier than at his previous top weight of 18st 2lb for his 2017 clash with Carlos Takam, Hearn anticipates an "explosive knockout" from Joshua at O2 Arena.

By contrast, Franklin has lost 23lb since facing Dillian Whyte, weighing in at 16st 7lb to seemingly give Joshua a clear advantage in terms of power, if not mobility.

"There's always an over-analysis with his weight, but clearly he's come in with bad intentions for this fight," said promoter Hearn.

"In some fights, where you need speed and agility, he comes in lighter. But I think you're going to get an explosive knockout."

Joshua is backing himself for the same, adding: "I know I've got the possibility of doing it, but there's a process to get there. I just follow the process."

Franklin claimed to have "a chin of steel", but that is set to be put to the test by the focused Briton, who has vowed to retire if he loses.

"I've got my gameplan, got my mind right, and I'm ready to go for war," Joshua said.

Anthony Joshua's return to the ring on Saturday to face Jermaine Franklin is a bout where both have plenty to prove.

Back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk saw Joshua lose his heavyweight titles, while leaving him with three defeats from his last five bouts.

Franklin, meanwhile, was undefeated and on a meteoric trajectory with 21 victories in a row, including 14 knockouts, before his unbeaten run came to a close at the hands of Dillian Whyte in November at Wembley – his first test outside the United States.

With Joshua in need of a win to stop the rot and Franklin looking to show his worth at this level, their clash at the O2 Arena is one where defeat does not bear thinking about.

Contender or pretender?

Dominating the heavyweight scene for years, the AJ of old was completely lost in the two defeats to Usyk which, although both went the distance, were bouts where the British Olympian never truly looked capable of victory.

The 2019 defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. was a shock, requiring Joshua to come back six months later to reclaim his belts, but the same cannot be said about Usyk, who was on top throughout almost every round across the pair's two meetings.

Now, the big question is whether the downward spiral will continue, or whether Joshua can force his way back into contention with the heavyweight elite in a period of great change, with the old guard not getting any younger and fresh blood creeping into contention.

For now, Joshua remains in the conversation. Discussions for a fiercely-anticipated all-British bout against Tyson Fury fell flat but Joshua has been touted for a meeting with Deontay Wilder later this year.

Defeat to Franklin, however, would hit hard and would see Joshua's recent record extend to four losses in six fights, not the sort of calibre required to remain at the top of the game, with some already suggesting that such a loss should result in AJ hanging up his gloves, including the man himself.

Franklin's rise

For many, facing Whyte is seen as an entry test into the heavyweight elite, with the Brit having faced the majority of the division's top fighters – including Fury, Joshua, Derek Chisora and Alexander Povetkin.

Defeat to Whyte in November was a blow for Franklin, a majority decision ending the 21-fight win streak, and he is now looking to prove his credentials outside the US by taking a significant scalp in the form of Joshua.

What Franklin lacks in experience, he certainly makes up for in confidence, declaring he will either secure a knockout win or "brutally" dominate the fight.

"If it's not a knockout then it will be a domination brutally. I'll go at him, see what he's going to do and see if I can make him make mistakes early," he said.

Coming out the blocks flying may be the best approach for Franklin, quickly putting the pressure on Joshua and silencing the home crowd, particularly with AJ unable to muster a response in similar circumstances against Usyk.

Pound for pound

Though Joshua boasts height and reach advantage over Franklin, that may not provide a significant indication on the match up given AJ had similar upper hands over Usyk, and a bout may well go the full distance.

Four of Joshua's last seven fights have gone 12 rounds, including three of the last four, and the knockout dominating AJ of old seems to have been lost in the latter years of his career.

Franklin is in a similar position, with just one knockout victory in his last six – having had 14 KO wins in his first 16 professional fights.

Prediction: Joshua wins on points

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua's long-awaited bout could finally come this year and would be the "biggest heavyweight match in the world".

That was the message on Wednesday from Top Rank president Todd DuBoef, a key member of Fury's United States promotional team who wants to see the all-British clash in 2023.

Joshua faces Jermaine Franklin on Saturday night at the O2 Arena in London, though speculation continues to swirl the former could face Fury after his undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk fell through.

Fury's promoter Hearn added fuel to the fire after expressing hopes of reviving negotiations with the entourage of Joshua, who DuBoef suggested would deserve a headline fight if he defeats Franklin.

"I've always said that that is the fight," DuBoef told Sky Sports.

"Both of them have great brands, huge fanbases, and fortunately both of them come from the UK, so it's wonderful that your country has been able to produce these incredible prizefighters.

"That fight is always there, and, to me, is the biggest heavyweight match in the world, because of the personalities and the stories."

Both camps have pointed the finger at each other after an April 29 meeting at Wembley between Fury and Usyk failed to come to fruition.

"The frustration is for all of us," DuBoef added on that bout. "All of us are frustrated, right?

"And I think timing has been an issue with trying to make this fight happen. I'm not going to say never, but I think we all want to see this unification, and we all have hope.

"But there was a timeline that was set up, and it just got ahead of everybody and it became very tight.

"Fortunately, there's always hope and an opportunity because I think both fighters really know that this is what the sport wants, and what they want."

While holding out hopes over the mouthwatering fight between Fury and Usyk, DuBoef says his client could even face both the Ukrainian and Joshua before the end of the year.

"That's the way we move," he continued. "We move with immediacy, and we move trying to figure out and get rationality to a situation.

"I think we've always wanted this fight for Fury and Joshua, and we've wanted to see Fury and Usyk, and Tyson has wanted that, and the Warrens, and we've worked hard in getting this done.

"I would love to see, and you've just laid out a great 2023 for the Fury side, if we could do Usyk and Joshua this year, it would be fantastic."

Anthony Joshua has promised there are a "lot of big nights ahead" as he looks to make a statement in his return fight against Jermaine Franklin on Saturday.

Joshua will return to the ring for the first time in seven months as he looks to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk.

Franklin – his opponent – has a 21-1 record and lost his most recent bout against former world title challenger Dillian Whyte. 

Joshua has moved to Dallas, Texas for this fight camp as he links up with renowned trainer Derrick James, with the heavyweight looking to get back to basics as he chases a winning formula. 

Writing in his column for The Evening Standard, he said: "His message has been pretty simple… to go back to basics. 

"The best athletes all do the basics well. In my last fight, I feel I maybe moved away from that a little bit.

"So, much of the in-camp training for the Jermaine Franklin fight at the O2 [Arena] on Saturday has been about stripping it down to the bare bones, getting my jab right, my defence, all the fundamentals of boxing.

"This is just the next chapter in my story but it also feels like the start of a long run, one I'm confident will also prove to be a long run of success.

"I see myself boxing for another three or four years and it feels like there are a lot of big nights ahead."

The 33-year-old's fight in London on Saturday will be his first without a world title involved since April 2016, but Joshua recognised the importance of the bout and the influence of new coach James.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, he said: "This is massive! I've put in the work, I still dream big so I'm gonna go out there and make sure I get the job done. 

"The goal is to take him out.

"Derick is up there with one of the best people I've ever spoken to about boxing. 

"I appreciate his time and the fact that he took me one, he's a well sought after coach and I'm looking forward to showing him that he hasn't wasted his time by taking on this project."

Anthony Joshua will retire from boxing if he loses to Jermaine Franklin on Saturday.

Former WBO world champion Johnny Nelson had suggested Joshua should call time on his career if he loses for the fourth time, having already been defeated by Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk (twice).

And the 33-year-old confirmed he does intend to hang up his gloves if he is beaten by his American opponent at the O2 Arena in London.

"I will. I will retire if I lose. I'm not here to battle people. If people want me to retire I will retire," Joshua said to MailOnline.

"I'm not going to fight if people don't want me too. It's not even about the money. It's about the competitor in you. That's what's important."

Joshua said he would like to face Tyson Fury if the Gypsy King is unable to revive negotiations on a unification fight with Usyk, but also sounded as if he is looking forward to retirement and getting away from the pressure of elite boxing.

"It [pressure] comes with the business and it comes with the territory, I know that," he said. "I know when I am retired, I am gonna be chilling. I'm gonna be thinking f*** everyone. I am done.

"You lot put so much pressure on me so when I am done, the chains are going to be gone. I am going to be laughing and loving life."

Anthony Joshua has challenged Tyson Fury to face him in order to redeem himself from the "letdown" of his heavyweight unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk falling through.

Talks between Fury and Usyk recently broke down after it had appeared the two would agree to fight later this year, as negotiations between Fury and Joshua had done prior to that.

However, ahead of his clash with American Jermaine Franklin on Saturday, Joshua offered Fury the opportunity to renegotiate as he believes the Gypsy King "needs" him.

"There's no better time to get Fury in the ring than now because he needs me to redeem himself from this circus. This letdown," Joshua said.

"He needs me so there's no better time than for him to call my name out and I'm someone that will take on any challenge."

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua lost back-to-back fights to Usyk and is looking to get back on track with a win against Franklin at London's O2 Arena, which will be his first fight since 2015 that has not been contested with a world title on the line.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn recently said: "If the Usyk fight doesn't get made, our message to team Fury is that we'll make the fight now, for straight after the Franklin fight," though AJ did concede he believes Fury and Usyk will eventually come to an agreement. 

"It's not my position to slate or slag anyone off. I'm pretty sure [Fury v Usyk] will happen because I feel like there could potentially be a method to the madness," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If, number one, I was in that position [and] didn't take that fight, how would people treat me?

"And number two, if I didn't take that fight what would Fury have to say about me? So I'm not going to stoop to that level.

"I respect everyone that steps into the ring. But I just sometimes think some people should watch their mouths a bit."

Anthony Joshua should call time on his boxing career if he loses to Jermaine Franklin next weekend, according to former WBO cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua has fallen down the pecking order for another shot at the belt after losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk.

The 33-year-old has tasted defeat in three of his past five bouts, with Andy Ruiz Jr sensationally ending his opponent's unbeaten streak of 22 fights in June 2019.

Joshua returns to action on home soil at London's 02 Arena on Saturday in what will be his first fight since 2015 that has not been contested with a world title on the line.

And Nelson believes Joshua's career will effectively be over if he loses to Franklin, whose run of 21 wins in a row was ended by Dillian Whyte in November/

"If Anthony Joshua loses, he jacks it in," Nelson wrote in his column for Sky Sports. "If he doesn't jack it, he should jack it. Because it's a hard mountain to climb. 

"Especially when you've had the success and the heights that he's had. So he can't afford to lose. That's a must. Then from that, it's confidence building.

"We'll see if he really thinks 'you know what, I can eventually become world champion again, I'll fix what I got wrong'. He's only been boxing 10, 11 years as a professional fighter."

A showdown between Joshua and Tyson Fury twice fell through, but there has been renewed talk over the past week of the two men facing off later this year.

However, given the similar nature of Fury's proposed bout with Usyk also collapsing, Nelson is no longer interested in discussing that all-British clash.

"Personally, I fell in love with the idea at first but it was teased so much and it never happened," he said. "So I don't even don't want to talk about it."

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."

Anthony Joshua will not "sit around and wait" to enter discussions with Tyson Fury after the latter's proposed bout with Oleksandr Usyk fell through.

Usyk's camp confirmed on Wednesday that talks with Fury over a heavyweight unification bout at Wembley on April 29 had collapsed.

Fury's promoter Eddie Hearn later revealed he is hoping to revive negotiations with Joshua over an all-British showdown later this year.

But having failed to agree terms on a fight twice before, most recently at the end of last year, Joshua is not interested in more drawn-out discussions.

"I was supposed to fight him before I fought Usyk, the first time, and he pulled out due to his legal case, the arbitration, with [Deontay] Wilder," Joshua said. 

"Then we had the one for this December [when talks also broke down]. Will the fight with me and him get made? I don't know. 

"Look at all the s*** they are going through now with this Usyk stuff. It's just crazy. I don't publicise things, so it's actually good that people are starting to see what goes on.

"It's good that people can actually see the s*** that people have got to put up with to make a fight. But Me and Usyk got two successful fights done."

Joshua added: "I cannot say I am just going to sit around and wait for this geezer [Fury]. There are other great fights out there I can have. 

"Without Fury on my record I will not wake up tomorrow and regret my whole boxing career. If he is on it, I am on it, if he is not, he is not. Whatever."

Joshua is scheduled to meet Jermaine Franklin in London on April 1 as he looks to respond to back-to-back losses to Usyk.

Eddie Hearn remains hopeful Anthony Joshua could fight Tyson Fury this year and is willing to make the bout immediately if Fury's proposed meeting with Oleksandr Usyk falls through.

Talks were held over a meeting between Joshua and Fury following the former's second defeat to Usyk last August, but the Gypsy King ultimately faced Derek Chisora on his return to the ring in December, while Joshua will take on Jermaine Franklin in April.

A deal for Fury and Usyk to clash in the same month is reportedly close to being agreed, but Joshua's promoter Hearn is waiting in the wings if an agreement cannot be reached.

"I'm happy to make Joshua and Fury right now for the summer, whether Fury wins or loses against Usyk," Hearn told BBC Sport.

"If the Usyk fight doesn't get made, our message to team Fury is that we'll make the fight now, for straight after the Franklin fight.

"Whatever way Tyson Fury wants to look at it, the fight with AJ will give him the pay day he wants. He wants to make as much money as possible, and rightfully so, he's a fantastic fighter.

"The fight with AJ breaks all records. I understand their focus is to make the Usyk fight, but we're ready if they want AJ."

While Saudi Arabia was initially suggested as a possible location for the Fury-Usyk fight, Wembley Stadium is now seen as the most likely venue, and Hearn believes the absence of Joshua has harmed the fighters' attempts to secure backing from the Middle East.

"They've obviously gone to the Middle East to get that money, failed because Anthony Joshua is not involved in that fight, and now they've gone to Wembley," Hearn added.

"I don't know how they get the numbers that Fury will demand for that fight, but if they can, brilliant. Hopefully for boxing it gets made because any time there's an undisputed clash it's great for the sport.

"It doesn't matter if they failed in their attempt to secure a big Middle East fight or whatever has happened, it's tremendous for British boxing if it does come home."

Anthony Joshua's biggest motivation is now money as he prepares to revive his career when taking on Jermaine Franklin.

Two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua faces Franklin at London's O2 Arena on April 1 looking to bounce back from successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

Franklin was beaten by Dillian Whyte in his most recent fight in November, that being the American's only defeat in 22 professional bouts.

Joshua is now determined to battle his way back to the top of the heavyweight division, starting with victory over Franklin in his homeland.

Asked at a press conference on Thursday what his biggest motivation is for taking on the fight, Joshua said: "Money, money, money. I like making money, straight up.

"I've been broke, my family's been broke, I know what this s*** means. I always built businesses outside of boxing, out of fear of going back to square one.

"But when I'm said and done, no one will care about me anymore, so I'll make the most of it while I'm here.

"My own expectations are my pressure, but pressure is being broke, worrying about your bills. 

"Look what's happening in Syria, Turkey – the earthquake that just happened. Me going to fight is a blessing, no pressure."

Joshua lost the WBA, IBF and WBO belts with his defeat to Usyk in September 2021 and failed to win them back when they met again in Jeddah last August.

Having won each of his first 22 professional bouts, all but one of those by knockout, Joshua has now lost three of his past five fights since June 2019.

However, the Briton insists the pain of losing to Andy Ruiz Jr and twice to Usyk is motivating him to put even more into his boxing between now and retirement.

"I still feel really fresh and young," he said. "I made a conscious decision last year to put my heart into boxing and nothing else. 

"It's not just the mind, where your head's at, it's your heart.

"Throughout my career, this is probably the most serious I've taken it. Everything I've been through – positive, negative – I'm using it to fuel my camp now."

Franklin has a 21-1 record following his defeat to Whyte, with 14 of his previous victories coming by way of knockout.

It will be Joshua's first fight with coach Derrick James in his corner, with the 33-year-old spending time in the United States training in preparation for his return to action.

"The world hasn't seen the best of Anthony Joshua," James said. "He's a great fighter. Great athleticism, great foot movement, very intellectual first and foremost. 

"He understands this sport and understands what I'm asking him to do."

Anthony Joshua will face Jermaine Franklin to prepare for further bouts against orthodox fighters, with Eddie Hearn wanting him to move away from southpaws.

The Briton will face the American at The O2 in London on April 1 in his first fight since falling to a second consecutive defeat against Oleksandr Usyk.

The two-time world champion is looking to build his form back up after his pair of stinging losses against the Ukrainian, with the 29-year-old Franklin his first test.

In part, the latter has been chosen to offer a taste of orthodox fights for Joshua, with Hearn hoping for future bouts against Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte and Tyson Fury to follow.

"Really, it came down to the style," Hearn told Matchroom.

"I think AJ's coming off the back of two fights against a southpaw, the best southpaw in boxing, in Oleksandr Usyk, and wanted an orthodox fighter.

"The training team really sort of looked at it and said [that] if we're gonna go and fight [Deontay] Wilder, Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury, there's no point in us going back and fighting a southpaw."

Franklin has 21 wins from 22 professional fights, with his only loss coming against Whyte in November last year.

Joshua had just one career loss before he faced off with Usyk originally in September 2021, losing his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in the process.

He then failed to claim revenge in the rematch in August in Jeddah, dropping him to a 24-3 professional record.