Anthony Joshua adamant Tyson Fury fight is next after win over Jermaine Franklin

Anthony Joshua is hopeful his next fight will be against Tyson Fury.

'AJ' returned to the boxing ring over the weekend for the first time since his loss to Oleksandr Usyk last August. On the opposite end stood Jermaine Franklin, as '989 Assassin' is coming off a decision defeat to Dillian Whyte late last year.

Heading into the matchup, the British star was confident of securing a knockout win. However, it didn't come. Franklin and Joshua mostly traded singular shots for 12 rounds, with not much activity between them. 'AJ' wound up winning by unanimous decision, with action even coming after the bell.

Following the victory, Anthony Joshua made it clear who he wanted next in the post-fight press conference. There, the former two-time heavyweight champion called out Tyson Fury. 'The Gypsy King' recently had plans for a unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk falling through late last month.

In the presser, Joshua made it clear that Fury is the only man he wants next. He said:

"100%, Tyson Fury [I want next]. I think that, that's the pot of gold. That's the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, bro. That's what it's about, so yeah. Definitely Tyson Fury."

See his comments in the video below:

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Anthony Joshua next fight: Will 'AJ' fight Tyson Fury?

Anthony Joshua's next fight likely won't be Tyson Fury, no matter how much they both will attempt to say so.

Theoretically, the fight should be easy to make as both men don't have opponents right now. However, what should happen is not always what happens in the world of boxing. Look no further than Fury's fight with Oleksandr Usyk falling through for no reason other than money.

So with that all being in mind, Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury should be able to happen next. However, timing-wise it likely won't add up. 'The Gypsy King' is reportedly still looking at potential foes for his April 29th booked date at Wembley Stadium.

However, there's also still an issue with Dillian Whyte. 'The Body Snatcher' is also coming off a win over Jermaine Franklin and has recently been calling for a rematch with Joshua. The two fought back in December 2015, with the future champion winning by knockout.

Earlier this year, Eddie Hearn revealed his plans for three fights for Anthony Joshua. The first was Franklin, the second being Whyte, and the last being Tyson Fury. That still seems to be the most likely chain of events as of now.