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World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua says a fight with fellow Briton Tyson Fury will be his focus if he defeats Andy Ruiz Jr on Saturday, Bestchoicesports.com.ng understands.

WBA, WBO and IBF champion Joshua, 29, had hoped to meet WBC champion Deontay Wilder to set up a unification bout, but the American has agreed a rematch with Luis Ortiz.

Joshua told BBC Sport it is time to negotiate a “solid fight”.

“I think I can beat Ruiz. If Wilder is not available, I want Fury.

“I said I want to meet Wilder, chat to him and the next day he announces a fight with no date or venue attached to it. I still say there is hope but I think the next person I want then is Fury.”

Ruiz, who spoke candidly about struggling with childhood bullying over his body shape, warned that Joshua was “looking past me” before their fight at Madison Square Garden in New York.

With Joshua, Wilder and Fury all attached to different broadcasters in the US, negotiations for fights between the three are complex.

Former world champion Fury, 30, fights German Tom Schwarz in Las Vegas on 15 June.

Asked if he thinks a deal can be done to face Fury, Joshua said: “Probably not.

“These fighters have big egos now and think ‘if he wants to fight me he has to come and see me and all that’.

“When I first fought for the title my promoter, Eddie Hearn, said when you get the title you are in a position of power.

“I have done that and I feel there is still a power struggle with people thinking, even though they aren’t champion, they still think they are king. Let’s put that stuff aside and get a real solid fight under wraps.”

Joshua added: “Eddie showed me a video of me yesterday and it made me realise that everything we do in boxing is about memories.

“I want to be able to say I had a great night with Fury, remember fighting Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin.