By Elliot Foster

Anthony Joshua has received an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

The 28-year-old heavyweight world champion, who currently holds the WBO, WBA Super, IBF and IBO crowns, was honoured for his services to boxing.

Joshua was rewarded with an MBE in 2013 after claiming a super-heavyweight Olympic gold medal at the London Games in 2012.

He hopes to face WBC champion Deontay Wilder, with all the major belts at stake, but admits negotiations must remain ‘realistic'.

"Everyone has seen the gold at the end of the rainbow, and everyone wants a piece," he told Sky Sports recently. "It's not a problem, there's enough in the pot for everyone to eat, but just be realistic and that's all it is.”

But if we’re talking about being realistic, the likelihood of the fight happening next is slim.

Very slim, in fact.

Alexander Povetkin of Russia is the WBA’s mandatory challenger and it is likely that he will be next in the ring with Joshua.

Boxing Scene understands that Joshua will return on September 29 at Wembley Stadium in London, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Should he fight Povetkin next, it is understood that Joshua will go into the showdown with a contract signed to face WBC king Wilder in February, 2019, with the Principality Stadium in Cardiff –– the scene of his aforementioned win over Joseph Parker as well as the stoppage win over Carlos Takam last October –– currently the front-runner to host the multi-million pound blockbuster.

Further details regarding the next fight of Joshua will be revealed in due course.