Anthony Joshua reveals he wants to fight WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk next

The WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champions won back his heavyweight titles by outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr

Anthony Joshua has revealed that he wants to return to the ring with a fight against Oleksandr Usyk.

The WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champions won back his heavyweight titles by outpointing Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

Joshua has been linked to lucrative fights with either WBC champion Deontay Wilder or lineal king Tyson Fury, but has said that he is hoping to fight his WBO mandatory next.

“I do have a preference, but don’t want to disrespect anyone,” he told IFLTV.

“On paper, my preferred fight is the better fighter, but last year, as I found out through my mistake, it’s easy to overlook people.”

When pressed on whether his ‘preferred fighter’ is Usyk, Joshua replied: “He’s a gold medallist, undisputed cruiserweight champion and has come up to heavyweight – a good solid record, so I’ll go with Usyk because of how good he is.”