Joshua is willing to fast-track Usyk into a Wembley showdown

ANTHONY JOSHUA could face Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley next April with his promoter Eddie Hearn already in discussions to co-promote the Ukrainian cruiserweight.

Usyk unified the 14st 4lb division by outpointing the previously undefeated Murat Gassiev in Russia last weekend to add the WBA and IBF titles to his WBO and WBC titles.

Talk has already turned to a move up to heavyweight and it has now emerged that a fight against superstar Joshua could happen as early as April 13, with Wembley Stadium already booked for a show.

Joshua (above) and his promoter Hearn hope to tempt the WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder into a mega-money battle there but they are lining up contingency plans in case that fight fails to materialise.

As reported by The Mail on Sunday last week, Joshua says he would be open to facing Tyson Fury on the date but it is unclear whether or not the ex-champion only just back from nearly three years out, would be ready for such a huge fight then.

Instead it could be Usyk, who won gold in the weight class below Joshua at the London 2012 Olympics, who could land the big fight.

‘Joshua v Usyk could possibly be in April,’ said Hearn. ‘Joshua wants the Usyk fight, he is fascinated by that kind of thing because he wants to test himself against people who he thinks are brilliant. He thinks Usyk is brilliant. He is up for it.

‘I think Usyk will struggle against the big boys like any cruiserweight would. Outside of [Evander] Holyfield and a few others, who has done it?’

It appears Usyk’s route to a fight with Joshua would have to go via another Hearn fighters, Tony Bellew, who thinks he can take Usyk’s belts.