Anthony Joshua said taking a year away from boxing was necessary to reassess his future in the sport, a break he believes set the foundation for his return to the ring and a renewed push towards a potential fight with Tyson Fury.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion stepped away following his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in 2024, choosing to pause his career rather than rush back into competition. Joshua returned on Friday night in Miami with a stoppage victory over Jake Paul, before again discussing long-standing plans for a showdown with Fury.

“I had a tough defeat in 2024 and I just want to pick up and move forward again,” Joshua said, according to Sky Sports. “So yeah, I’m glad that I got back in the ring and I figured out that this is where I want to be. It was a real test for me to figure out if I still want to continue or not, and this was a good eye-opener that this is where I want to be, that I want to get back in the ring and go again.”

Despite the win over Paul, Joshua admitted he was not fully satisfied with his performance and said he remains focused on improving as he moves forward. “I needed to do better. I needed to do better,” he said. “I can’t reverse the clocks. I’ve just got to move forward and leave the past behind.”

Joshua also explained that the time away from the sport was about more than just physical recovery, highlighting the mental and emotional demands of elite-level boxing. “I was trying to fall back in love with boxing,” he said, adding that the break allowed him to reconnect with family and reassess the level of commitment required to compete at the top.

Attention has now shifted to what comes next, with Joshua once again calling for a fight with Tyson Fury, a bout that has been discussed for several years but never finalised. The British heavyweight reiterated his desire to see the fight materialise rather than remain a talking point outside the ring.