By Elliot Foster
Anthony Joshua has revealed the date on which he will return to the ring.
The Olympic gold medal winner at London 2012, who has been working with the BBC as part of their coverage of the Games in Rio de Janeiro, hasn’t fought since retaining his IBF world heavyweight title on June 25 at the O2 Arena.
But the world champion, 26, will be back in the squared circle in the autumn and is soon expected to embark on a training camp ahead of his next fight.
Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) told John Inverdale, live on BBC One in the aftermath of Team GB man Joe Joyce’s Olympic super-heavyweight final defeat to France’s Tony Yoka, that he is working towards a return date of November 26.
No venue or opponent have yet been disclosed for the Watford puncher’s second world title defence, but Boxing Scene understands that Joshua will not fight at the O2 Arena, where he has for his past five outings, and will instead box elsewhere.
Further details are set to be revealed by promoter Eddie Hearn in due course, but it has been widely reported that the three fighters under consideration to oppose Joshua are the mandatory challenger, Joseph Parker, of New Zealand, as well as former WBC ruler Bermane Stiverne and current European king Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria.