Two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has hit out at the sport in a cryptic post on social media.

The 33-year-old returned to winning ways against Jermaine Franklin last month following back-to-back defeats by Oleksandr Usyk, but received plenty of criticism for his performance after labouring to a points victory.

He has since been plotting his next move, with his promoter Eddie Hearn revealing that a deal is ‘pretty much in place’ for him to fight long-term rival Deontay Wilder in the Middle East in December.

Tyson Fury and Usyk could also meet in an undisputed clash on the same night, but still have a way to go get that fight over the line, and Joshua has appeared to vent his frustrations with the politics involved in the sport after an underwhelming start to the year in the heavyweight division.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday night, Joshua posted the message ‘Boxing: The only jungle where the rats out-wit the lions,’ on his story.

Anthony Joshua has claimed on Instagram that boxing enables ‘the rats to out-wit the lions’

He also posted a clip of Mike Tyson saying boxing is about making the most money while taking the fewest risks

Joshua looks set to take on long-term rival Deontay Wilder (above) in the Middle East this year

Alongside the cryptic post, Joshua also put up videos of heavyweight icons George Foreman and Mike Tyson expressing their own views on the dark side of boxing.

The Foreman clip was accompanied by the headline: ‘I was forced back into boxing because the people I trusted stole everything from me.’

Foreman, boxing’s oldest-ever heavyweight champion, went on to say: ‘I gave it all up. I never wanted to see a boxing ring again. But I got broke and I had to go back in the ring to take care of my family.’

Foreman famously ran through the heavyweight division in the early 1970s before losing to Muhammad Ali in 1974 in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’.

He took a 10-year hiatus from the sport between 1977 and 1987, but decided to make a comeback and went on to claim the WBA and IBF belts at the age of 45 in 1994.

Tyson also spoke about learning about the financial side of boxing, admitting that he realised a high-reward, low-risk strategy was the best way forward during his career.

‘I found out that boxing’s business and not about who is stronger or tougher, it’s about the smartest guy – who can make the most money with the least risk,’ Tyson said in the clip Joshua posted on his story.

Joshua has previously claimed money is his main motivation for continuing to fight

‘That’s what boxing is truly about but then ego gets involved but it’s about making the most money with the least risk and you leave here healthy, you have your family and have a enough money to take care of people.’

Ahead of his fight against Franklin in April, Joshua said money was his main motivation for continuing to fight rather than becoming a three-time champion.

He looks set for a major pay-day if he does face Wilder later this year, but has been written off in some quarters, with Carl Froch recently claiming Joshua has no legacy and predicting he will be beaten inside a round by the big-punching American.

Joshua seems to be in a defiant mood, though, and will want to prove his doubters wrong, should he finally get in the ring with Wilder after years of back and forth between the pair.