Anthony Joshua hopes Deontay Wilder beats Tyson Fury in Los Angeles to increase the chances of a fight spectators "have been yearning for".

Joshua, who defeated Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 to ascend to the summit of his sport, holds the IBF, IBO, WBA (Super) and WBO heavyweight world titles, and remains undefeated from his 22 professional fights, winning 21 by knockout.

Wilder, the WBC beltholder in the top division, will take on Joshua's maverick fellow Brit Fury, who stunningly unseated Klitschko in 2015, at Staples Center in Los Angeles on December 1.

Wilder, who is unbeaten with 39 knockouts in 40 pro fights, is a huge favorite to win.

Should Fury win, there is an immediate rematch clause - which would see the second fight take place in the first half of 2019.

Joshua has an entire layout for the future - which includes several fights. Wilder is first on that target list.

First, Joshua is scheduled to return to the ring on April 13th at Wembley Stadium in London.

"I need Wilder to win and that way it gives me more of an opportunity to fight him because as a champion, if he retains his belt, I think that's the fight that people have been yearning for, so 2019 hopefully is a big year for me," Joshua said, speaking courtesy of Land Rover.

"For the near future I think that Wilder fight has to happen due to the fact that we're both champions, it's at a good time in our career and the fans are demanding it. And for me it'll be a rematch, a double-sided fight, but I think we have to start in London at Wembley.

"If I was undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, it'd be [Oleksandr] Usyk because he's undisputed cruiserweight champion and I'd be undisputed heavyweight champion, so that's like a legacy fight. Then [Tyson] Fury, and then Dillian [Whyte]."