Promoter Eddie Hearn has warned that Anthony Joshua could consider vacating a world title if it prevented him from pursuing a major fight in the future, Sky Sports reports.

Joshua currently holds the WBA ‘super’ and IBF heavyweight belts and both governing bodies have cleared their champion to pursue a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko.

But Hearn insists Joshua’s sole focus is to be involved in the biggest fights and will not allow himself to be tied down by world title commitments.

“There comes a moment and a time where the fighter becomes more than the belts, and Joshua is on his way to doing that,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

At some point you might have to vacate a belt, if it’s a fight that no one wants to see, if it’s a fight that’s not for the benefit of the fans.

“However, he wants all the belts himself, he wants to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and it’s our job to try and manoeuvre him and steer him in the right direction.

“I have said before and I’ll say it again. We will not let politics get in the way of the progression of Anthony Joshua, of where we want to take Anthony Joshua, of where he wants to go, of what ground he wants to break.

“We have to be smart, of course follow the rules, accept the rules and make the right decisions for his career. At some point you might have to vacate a belt, if it’s a fight that no one wants to see, if it’s a fight that’s not for the benefit of the fans. If it’s a fight that isn’t for the benefit of Anthony Joshua’s career in terms of where he wants to get to, maybe.”

The Joshua-Klitschko winner has been ordered to face Kubrat Pulev next, with other contenders jostling for position, and ‘AJ’ is also interested in unification fights and a rematch with British rival Dillian Whyte.

“Again it’s going to be very difficult to maintain all the belts,” said Hearn. “He also wants unification fights, he wants to fight Joseph Parker and he wants to fight Deontay Wilder.

“But the plan with Anthony Joshua is not two or three fights; it’s eight to 10 years. We’ve got to go through everybody. We’re urging all the heavyweights to keep going, to call him out.

“There’s fights in the UK. Dillian Whyte is a fight that Anthony Joshua wants to see again. Hopefully we can get Dillian Whyte a shot at the championship before. We’ve got to line these guys up, third, fourth, fifth fight, because we’re going to need them.”