Anthony Joshua will definitely face either Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury next, says the heavyweight’s promoter Eddie Hearn.
Briton Joshua, 35, suffered a fourth career defeat when he was stopped by IBF world champion Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September.
Fury, who has long been linked with a super-fight with Joshua, will face unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on 21 December after losing to the Ukrainian in May.
“It’s weird saying it after a knockout defeat but AJ is actually in a really good position,” Matchroom boss Hearn told BBC Sport.
“We’re going to fight Dubois or Fury next. That’s it. No other interest or warm-up.”
Dubois, 27, dropped Joshua multiple times in front of a reported British record crowd of 96,000 before the fight was halted in the fifth round.
A rematch had been mooted for 22 February in Saudi and the champion’s promoter, Frank Warren, has confirmed Dubois will most likely fight on that date.
It may be against a different challenger, with Hearn saying Joshua may need more time to prepare.
“AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing,” he said. “For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks.
“There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it’s just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that.”
Joshua may instead await the outcome of 36-year-old Fury’s rematch with Usyk.
“It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won,” Hearn said.
“Then we’re sitting there going ‘hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.’
“Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.”
