"It won't happen" - Anthony Joshua giving up on lifelong career goal ahead of return

Ahead of Anthony Joshua's next fight, he's given up on his dreams of being undisputed.

'AJ' is currently slated to return to the ring later this month in Saudi Arabia. In the short-notice main event, Joshua will return to face former title challenger Otto Wallin. The Swede is undefeated since a loss to Tyson Fury in mid-2019.

As some recall, the heavyweight clash between Joshua and Wallin came together due to the collapse of Fury's bout with Oleksandr Usyk. That heavyweight unification was slated for December 23. However, due to the British boxer's fight against Francis Ngannou, it was postponed to February.

Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk will crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis. 'The Lion' accomplished that feat well over two decades ago, and nobody has gotten close since.

Anthony Joshua tried his best to secure all the titles but failed during his stint as champion. In a recent interview with TNT Sports, the Brit explained that thanks to Fury vs. Usyk, he doesn't believe he will ever become an undisputed champion.

Speaking in the interview, Joshua stated:

“It won’t happen anymore. I think it’s just the reality. What will happen is that Usyk and Fury are now in position to compete for the undisputed, and once they compete for the undisputed, the belts will get split up again. And I feel probably it would take me about five to six years to go through and get all the belts, beat all the independent champions. That will probably take me on to being 40-41, so it’s probably not in my timeframe.”

See his comments in the video below (15:00)

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Anthony Joshua's next fight could prevent Deontay Wilder bout

Anthony Joshua's undisputed dreams are gone, but he still is eyeing big fights.

The British boxer's fight with Otto Wallin on December 23 was a big fight already. Riding a three-fight winning streak, the Swede proved himself to be a top contender with his 2019 performance against 'The Gypsy King'.

However, that heavyweight bout at the end of the month now has bigger stakes. As first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder is official for March 9. Much like other big fights recently, it will take place in Saudi Arabia.

As some recall, 'The Bronze Bomber' is set to return to the ring on the same night as Joshua. In the co-main event, he will face former champion Joseph Parker. If both Joshua and Wilder pick wins on December 23, fans will finally get to see them fight in 2024.