Anthony Joshua says he is prepared to fight old rival Dillian Whyte on his return to action next year.

Joshua, 33, is considering his potential next opponents after losing a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in August.

Joshua, who beat Whyte in 2015, says Swede Otto Wallin and Croat Filip Hrgovic are also options.

“I like fighting good opponents,” Joshua told DAZN. “Yeah, I’ll fight Otto. Yeah, I’ll fight Dillian. I’ll fight Hrgovic.”

Whyte and Joshua’s rivalry has endured over the years, with both men repeatedly saying they are open to a rematch.

Whyte, 34, is also looking to bounce back from defeat by Tyson Fury on 26 November when he fights American Jermaine Franklin in London.

Joshua is recovering from his third defeat and the first successive losses of his career.

But the Watford fighter says he does not want an easy fight on his return.

“As much as it’s about becoming a champion, I always felt like it was important for me to fight the best in my era,” he said.

“Because there was this whole stigma about cherry picking.

“If you want to get to get to the top, you have to take risks – calculated risks – but you definitely have to take risks. And I just like taking risks.”

He added: “It’s not how popular a fighter you are that makes you a good fighter, it’s how good a fighter you are that will make you popular.”

“I’ll never underestimate anyone I step in the ring with. That’s how we have to think.

“Everyone is a solid competitor. And that’ll make me raise my game.” (BBC)

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