OLYMPIC super heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who takes on Argentine journeyman Hector Alfredo Avila on Saturday at the SECC, is not putting a time scale on his world heavyweight title ambitions.
The 24-year-old is unbeaten in his four professional fights since he struck gold at the 2012 London Olympics and believes a meeting with domestic rivals Tyson Fury or Dereck Chisora, en route to the world crown, is inevitable.
"I don't want to put a time scale on my journey to be world heavyweight champion but I do know that I would like to do it the old fashioned way, by becoming British, European, and then world champion, just like Lennox Lewis did," Joshua said. "As for Chisora and Fury, well they are both genuine heavyweight title contenders and I would say that our paths will definitely cross at some stage. I will look forward to that.
"I would think it will be unlikely that Wladimir Klitschko will still be champion by the time I am ready to challenge for the world title, but we will only know the answer to that one when I get there."
While Avila, who has already failed to beat the count on 11 occasions during a 38-fight professional career, is unlikely to extend the 6ft, 6in North Londoner, Joshua says he will help with his boxing education.
"Every fight is part of the learning process for me and Avila is the next chapter in that story. He went nine rounds with Dereck Chisora a year back, so I am not underestimating him.
"But I am hoping that I will be in position to challenge for a major domestic championship before the year is out and the British title is my preferred option. I have a lot of weaknesses that I still must eradicate and on each occasion I climb through the ropes I plan to take a step towards doing that."
Bert Mitchell
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