Boxing: Anthony Joshua plans Oleksandr Usyk battle

WBO, WBA ‘super’ and IBF world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua admits he wants to take on new boy Oleksandr Usyk once he has dealt with WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
The Londoner has three of the four heavyweight belts at present but has yet to finalise a fight with Wilder.

For now, his attention is on the hard-hitting Jarrell Miller, with the pair set to meet in New York on June 1.

Wilder faces Dominic Breazeale on May 18, while Usyk makes his heavyweight debut a week later against the durable Carlos Takam.

Fellow Brit Tyson Fury is in action in Las Vegas a week later at the MGM Grand and the heavyweight scene is buzzing at present.

Joshua is now starting to map out his next few fights and the 2012 Olympic champion believes he can line up Wilder and then Usyk after beating Miller.

He told Sky Sports News: “It’s really good because we’ve got me and Miller, Wilder vs Breazeale, Fury vs (Tom) Schwarz, Dillian Whyte is going to do something, Usyk vs Takam. “The heavyweight division is alive. It is booming.

I think it will be class if I can fight Wilder for the undisputed title and then I could
fight Usyk because then that would be the undisputed heavyweight champion versus the undisputed cruiserweight champion at heavyweight. That would be unbelievable.

“I’ve done the [Joseph] Parker fight, I fought for that [WBO] title. I’ve fought (Alexander) Povetkin, now I’ve got to do Miller and I just need to get past this one.

“If I don’t get Wilder, what am I doing it for? If I don’t get my hands on the WBC belt, what am I doing it for? I really want that chance and that opportunity.”

Joshua is as short as 1.13 to win against Miller, while punters can back him at 19.00 to win in round two.