Anthony Joshua makes U-Turn, to fight in 'July or August' 

Boxing superstar Anthony Joshua has backtracked on his claim that he won't fight again until December and instead hinted at a potential return to the ring this summer.

Joshua got back to winning ways at the start of the month by dominating Jermaine Franklin in a shut-out points victory at the O2 Arena.

While the performance was by no means vintage, and even drew criticism from the likes of Carl Froch, the two-time heavyweight champion successfully recovered from consecutive defeats by Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk, leaving the door open for potential mega-fights with Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury or Joe Joyce.

Yet one week after getting past Franklin, fans were left puzzled when AJ revealed on social media that his next outing would not come for another eight months.

'Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture,' he wrote on Instagram. 

That announcement was soon followed by stunning reports which claimed Saudi Arabian officials are now plotting a historic night of boxing which would see Joshua vs Wilder and Fury vs Usyk take place on the same card at the end of the year, with the winners of each bout then going on to lock horns in 2024.

However, Joshua has now suggested he could return in 'July or August' if both he and new coach Derrick James believe doing so is the right move.   

'I thought as I've changed maybe three coaches in three years, it would be good to develop and work under the guidance of my new coach and by the time I'm back in the ring, I've cemented and implemented everything he wants,' he told Sky Sports.

'But the only way we're going to put everything he's teaching me to the test is through fighting.

'So rather than putting pressure on myself, and I don't want to lie to the fans at the time, I'm fighting this date when there's still conversations, I just wanted to draw a line in the sand and say I'm not fighting until this date.

'If I, my coach, decides to change my mind… I feel I'm able to change my mind, right? So I'm able to fight in July or August if I want, but right now it's off the table, but we are subject to chance providing my coach is happy with what he sees.'

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn recently admitted his man had not yet decided whether to take another tune-up bout this summer before stepping into the ring with one of his major heavyweight rivals in December.

The 33-year-old only boxed under James' tutelage for the first time against Franklin, having parted company with previous trainer Robert Garcia following their sole outing together against Usyk last August.

Walker higher. You have to be adaptable to take the game where you want it.”