An ambitious 2023 campaign is being planned for Anthony Joshua.

Details are still being finalized, but the former two-time unified heavyweight champ is expected to return to the ring by early April according to Eddie Hearn. The bout will launch what his team hopes to be an active year that ends with a long in-demand superfight with a fellow former titleholder.

“The plan now is to rebuild him to become a three-time heavyweight world champion. It's all very well being brave, listening to Twitter, going out and fighting Deontay Wilder. But there has to be a plan, a smart plan.”

England’s Joshua (24-3, 22KOs) fought just once in each of the past three years. His lone appearance in 2022 was a repeat defeat to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13KOs), who outpointed Joshua over twelve rounds to successfully defend his WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight titles in their August 20 rematch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Usyk claimed the belts in a twelve-round, unanimous decision victory over the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and two-time champ in their September 24 meeting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London.

The rematch saw Joshua enlist the services of renowned trainer Robert Garcia. It seemed to be a good fit despite the defeat, though the 33-year-old Brit has spent recent weeks touring U.S. gyms as it remains unclear if he is looking to replace team members or simply add to his current staff.

What has been confirmed is his desire to remain at a competitive level upon his ring return.

“We are down to three or four opponents,” noted Hearn, though without revealing any candidates. “He is ready to start camp and will likely start that camp this week. Honestly, I couldn’t give Anthony Joshua an opponent he will turn down. It’s all about putting together the right training team.”

Once the first fight on the year is out of the way, Hearn will aim to piece together a second Joshua-Whyte fight. The two met as unbeaten rising prospects in December 2015, which saw Joshua claim a seventh-round stoppage win. It was his final fight before claiming his first major title when he knocked out unbeaten IBF heavyweight titlist Charles Martin in April 2016.

Six successful defenses followed during a reign that saw Joshua collect all but the WBC title. His reign ended in a stunning seventh-round knockout defeat to Andy Ruiz in June 2019, the fight taking place at Madison Square Garden in New York City in what remains his lone U.S. fight. Joshua regained the belts via unanimous decision in their December 2019 rematch in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, making just one successful defense as his progress was slowed due to the pandemic. 

A ninth-round knockout of Kubrat Pulev marked Joshua’s lone fight of 2020. His pair of fights with Usyk were his only ring appearances of 2021 and 2022, respectively.

The road ahead comes as title fights are being planned without him. Usyk remains in talks with lineal/WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23KOs), with hopes of staging the undisputed heavyweight championship sometime this spring.

There is the possibility that Usyk is stripped of one or more title by the time he gets to Fury, or that the winner will have to let go of a belt based on mandatory title defense obligations. Usyk was ordered by the IBF to face its number-one contender, Filip Hrgovic—whose co-promoters Matchroom Boxing and Wasserman Boxing are prepared to go to court to preserve the Croatian’s rights as the top contender.

Should the IBF belt become vacant, Joshua would be in position to challenge for the title. Ruiz is wedged in between the two but is more likely to face Wilder in an ordered WBC title eliminator.

Such a fight is merely one possibility on the year for Joshua. The primary goal is to get him in the ring far more frequently than yet another annual appearance.

“The key is we want him to fight three times this year,” vowed Hearn.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox