Anthony Joshua talks how losing the belts have impacted his gameplan - "I'm looking at myself as a contender"

Anthony Joshua has a different mindset heading into his return.

For the first time in a long time, 'AJ' is back to being a contender, not a title challenger or champion. Joshua suffered defeats prior to 2021, notably being upset by Andy Ruiz Jr. but ultimately defeating him in a subsequent rematch.

However, the former two-time champion is now in uncharted waters. Having been defeated by Oleksandr Usyk twice, and Tyson Fury openly stating that he's not interested in facing Joshua, the Brit will have to fight his way to the top.

The first fight as a part of that title chase comes on April 1st against Jermaine Franklin. '989 Assassin' is also attempting to get a title shot, having come up short against Dillian Whyte last year in his biggest challenge to date.

Heading into his return, Anthony Joshua is planning on bringing in a different game plan. In an interview with Sky Sports, the former heavyweight champion revealed:

"I'm looking at myself as a contender. When you're champion, you have to fight a certain waycbecause [you're fighting] someone who's coming to take what you have. Now I haven't got anything to protect, so I'm going to come in with a different mindset."

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Anthony Joshua discusses retirement plans ahead of return

For Anthony Joshua, winning a championship is key as he won't be around forever.

'AJ' is one of the biggest boxing stars on the planet, with his knockout power and incredible size drawing in fans across the globe. While he's likely happy with his star power and reputation, being a boxer doesn't define him.

The former two-time heavyweight champion has always stated that he's not planning on sticking around too long. It's a reasonable fear, as most fighters don't leave at their peak. Instead, they retired looking up at the lights, having stayed around too long.

In the interview with Sky Sports, Anthony Joshua addressed retirement. The heavyweight contender stated that his goal is to retire when he's still young enough to live his life, making his next title chase very important.

He stated:

"I just want to have time to still live and have fun. As an athlete, we try and have fun, but even when you're out, you're still thinking about when you sleep, what you're eating, you've got to drink water. So you've always got things playing on the back of your mind, so I want to be young enough to just be free."