Anthony Joshua denies he will have to retire if he loses to Oleksandr Usyk

Anthony Joshua has defended his record as a heavyweight boxer and insisted he will decide how long he continues to fight for, amid suggestions he would have no choice but to retire were he to lose his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk here on Saturday night.

Joshua faces Usyk with the intention of reclaiming the WBA, IBF and WBO titles the Ukrainian took from him via a unanimous points decision at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 11 months ago. Joshua was comprehensively beaten by an opponent of great skill and resilience in what was only his third fight at heavyweight following an era of dominance at cruiserweight, and few are predicting a different outcome when the pair clash again this weekend.

Some within the sport, including the former world champions Carl Froch and Kell Brook, have suggested defeat is not only likely for Joshua but would leave him with few options in a professional career launched on the back of his gold medal at the London Olympics almost exactly 10 years ago. The much-discussed all-British affair with Tyson Fury would almost certainly remain beyond reach, partly because Fury is again in a period of retirement. Were Fury to make a comeback he would likely face Usyk in what would be a mouthwatering unification battle.

Joshua firmly believes he can avoid a third defeat in his 27 fights, the other being his shock stoppage at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019, and instead is setting his sights on becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion, having previously reclaimed his titles with victory in his rematch with Ruiz Jr in Riyadh six months after their initial contest. In his return to Saudi Arabia, the 32-year-old also addressed the idea that a second defeat to Usyk would be a fatal blow to his