Klitschko, Wilder, then Fury - Hearn outlines Joshua schedule

Anthony Joshua will attempt to contest a re-match against Wladimir Klitschko before fighting Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, according to his promoter.

Joshua stopped Klitschko by technical knockout in the 11th round of a thrilling bout in front of 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium last month to unify the IBF, WBA and IBO world heavyweight titles.

Fury, who beat Klitschko in 2015 before vacating his belts following a battle with depression, and having his licence revoked due to a failed drug tests, is angling for a showdown with Joshua as he seeks to have the ban overturned.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, though, claimed the controversial 28-year-old will have to wait for his chance to topple former Olympic champion Joshua.

"I think from a fans perspective, and I call myself one of those as well, Klitschko, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, they would be the next three fights for Anthony Joshua," Hearn was quoted as saying by The Sun.

It remains to be seen when Fury will be allowed to box again, amid claims his hearing with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) could be delayed.

"There's honestly no one that wants to see Tyson Fury return to the ring more than Anthony Joshua and myself, because that is the biggest fight in world boxing," Hearn said.

"He's got a long way to go, it's great to see him training, I think the UKAD [issue] is extremely cloudy and doesn't make sense and something's going on there that I can't put my finger on.

"He's got to go before the British Boxing Board of Control, he's a long way from fighting again but he's on the road, he's on the horse.

"He's back in the gym, he's getting the weight off, he seems to be committed to the sport again which is great for all of us because – yeah, he's not everybody's cup of tea, but he's a character, he's a personality and that's what drives sport."

Hearn also believes Joshua is ahead of the curve in terms of his development, the 27-year-old having already risen to the summit despite only picking up the sport at the age of 18.

"Anthony is doing things that people at this stage in his career shouldn't, he shouldn't be in unification fights with Wladimir Klitschko in his 19th fight," he said.

"He will have to do a lot of learning in the ring against Tyson Fury, but he's prepared to take these fights, and for that he deserves a huge amount of credit."