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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Alex Young

Anthony Joshua targets next fight ‘within three months’ after Jermaine Franklin victory

Anthony Joshua says he is "definitely going to be fighting in the next three months" after returning to the ring with a victory over Jermaine Franklin.

The British heavyweight made hard work of the American to seal his first win in more than two years after back-to-back defeats to WBA, IBF and WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua is keen to "get the ball rolling" and get back in the ring again before July, but his opponent remains unknown.

"It was nine months since I was last in the ring [before Franklin]," he said on BBC One's 'The One Show'. "I don't want to leave it that long again. I want to be back there in next three months."

He added: "I'm definitely going to be fighting in the next three months, against who? It's still unknown," Joshua said.

An all-British superfight against Tyson Fury has long been touted, and Joshua described such a showdown as the "pot of gold", adding: "The WBC heavyweight champion of the world. That's what it's about."

Joshua toiled to a unanimous points decision against Franklin at the O2 Arena, his first fight under new trainer Derrick James, and said he was "not too happy" at failing to earn a knockout, but added: "Getting that win and getting out amongst the public - it was nice to mingle and get congratulations."

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