Anthony Joshua has announced he will retire from boxing if he loses to Jermaine Franklin on Saturday.

The 33-year-old former heavyweight champion confirmed his intentions to hang up his gloves telling the MailOnline, “I will. I will retire if I lose. I’m not here to battle people. If people want me to retire I will retire,”

He added: “I’m not going to fight if people don’t want me too. It’s not even about the money. It’s about the competitor in you. That’s what’s important.”

The news comes after Former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson called for Joshua to retire if he loses the fight.

“He’s got to get in the queue again like everybody else. If Anthony Joshua loses, he jacks it in. If he doesn’t jack it, he should jack it. Because it’s a hard mountain to climb”.

AJ acknowledged the added pressure the statement would add on top of the fight being his return to the ring following successive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.

“It [pressure] comes with the business and it comes with the territory, I know that. I know when I am retired, I am gonna be chilling. I’m gonna be thinking f**k everyone. I am done,”

“You lot put so much pressure on me so when I am done, the chains are going to be gone. I am going to be laughing and loving life.”