ANTHONY JOSHUA and Jermaine Franklin have returned clean drug tests following their fight.
AJ returned at the start of April with his first win since 2020 by beating Franklin over 12 rounds.
The scrappy affair may not live long in the memory but Joshua successfully bounced back after two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
And it has now been confirmed by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association that both the heavyweight headliners passed their doping tests.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had hoped for an active 2023 for the two-time champion with as many as three bouts lined up.
But AJ made the shock revelation on Instagram that he would not be back in the ring until the end of the year.
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He posted: “My next fight is scheduled for December. Not ideal but everything is part of a bigger picture.”
Despite the shock announcement, Hearn’s Hall of Fame father Barry warned not to rule out a change of plan.
He told Joe: “Firstly, I think there were a few misquotes about he’s not boxing until December. He’s thinking about not boxing until December.
“I love Anthony but he’s on holiday at the moment, He’s having a good time. He spends his life in training camps.
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“When you’re having a good time, you like to carry on having a good time, but I know Anthony a bit better than that.
“I won’t be a 100 per cent surprised to see a U-turn on that.”
Joshua, 33, is currently enjoying time off in Dubai, before planning a trip back to Texas for more training under new coach Derrick James.
It comes amid rumours of a fight against Deontay Wilder, 37, in December in Saudi Arabia.
And Tyson Fury, 34, would also face Usyk, 36, with the winners of the two bouts meeting in a proposed tournament.
It would tie into Joshua’s plan to wait till the end of the year to fight following his comeback victory against American Franklin, 29.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
