Joshua decided to shake things up after losing his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles to Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.
Eddy Reynoso, Virgil Hunter and Anthony Wilson are among the trainers Joshua could recruit, while Floyd Mayweather has been giving the Briton advice ahead of an eagerly anticipated rematch with Usyk that has not yet been confirmed.
Hearn, Joshua's promoter, told iFL TV: "I think AJ will make an announcement when camp starts, which I guess will be end of January, early February.
"He's worked hard to get it right. A lot of people have said, 'do you think it's risky to bring in a new trainer?'
"I flip that and say, 'do you think it's risky to not be comfortable with your set-up or your surroundings?'"
Hearn says having a new face in Joshua's corner will not mean there is no role to play for his long-time trainer Robert McCracken.
"He'll always be involved in some way," Hearn said of McCracken.
"He's more than just a trainer to Anthony Joshua... he's a mentor, an advisor.
"Those two will always talk – in what capacity, I don't know. I'll leave that to AJ to announce. But there will certainly be additions to the training team."
Joshua was outclassed by Usyk, suffering the second defeat of his professional career after he was also surprisingly dethroned by Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
The 'Battle of Britain' clash seemed to be at risk of a collapse after Fury issued a Monday deadline for an agreement to be signed but AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn ruled out such swift action.
That raised concerns that the fiercely anticipated bout could fall through, with Fury threatening to walk away and fight someone else.
Joshua has now moved to calm such fears in a video posted on social media, expressing his intent to sign the agreement.
"I've been signing contracts for years. It ain't in my hands, it is with the legal team, that's why you hire lawyers. You know the history of boxing, make sure you get your legal terms right," he said.
"That's why you have good management and good lawyers. Of course I'm going to sign the contract, it's just with some lawyers at the minute."
A fight between Fury and Joshua would likely set the heavyweight scene for 2023, with the winner then poised to face off against Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout.
Joe Joyce's victory against Joseph Parker in Manchester on Sunday has set the Brit as the mandatory challenger for Usyk's WBO title, though he may have to wait for his shot.
IBF, WBA and WBO title holder Joshua wants to complete the collection by adding the WBC belt, which is currently held by Fury following his stoppage win over Deontay Wilder.
The pair were expected to meet in 2021 at the earliest, with Fury facing Wilder for a third time before then and mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev up next for Joshua.
However, Hearn revealed Joshua has not agreed a deal with Pulev and could yet take on Fury should Wilder opt against returning to the ring this year.
"I am the only one that has put [Joshua v Fury in 2021] in writing that the deal is agreed," Hearn told IFL TV.
"So, I have already written to their team saying, 'Just to let you know, we have agreed to the following deal.'
"I didn't actually get a reply, but I believe they do want the fight. So, we're ready for the fight."
He added: "I saw the comments about December. It's all very well saying, 'Well, if that doesn't happen in December, I'll fight you now.'
"We will fight you in December. If the world is ready for that fight, and these offers that are coming in are legit for that period in December, then we don't have a problem going into that fight.
"But [Fury's] under contract for another fight. We're not under contract yet, but we have to agree to terms with Pulev now. We probably will.
"We want to have an undisputed fight. So, by doing that, we fight Pulev, [Fury] fights Wilder.
"If we have to drop the WBO belt, then we worry about that then. But AJ doesn't have a problem with going into that [Fury] fight next. He understands that his obligation is to fight Pulev."
Wilder invoked a rematch clause to face Fury for a third time after losing his WBC and Ring Magazine titles to the 32-year-old in February.
However, a date has still not been officially pencilled in and Hearn has told Wilder to consider retiring if he does not step back into the ring with the Gypsy King.
"If Deontay Wilder doesn't take that rematch, he should retire from boxing," he said. "What's the point? You've been a world heavyweight champion, and now you've lost."
The alleged agreement was reported by The Telegraph on Sunday, claiming Joshua would forego a rematch with Usyk for the three heavyweight title belts he lost to the Ukrainian in September.
Such a move would allow Usyk to instead take on Fury in a huge unification bout.
Promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports he has a meeting planned with Joshua to discuss "a number of proposals and options", but the British fighter has dismissed talk of a £15m deal.
Indeed, Joshua, describing himself as "the man who handles my business", also revealed frustrations at some of the reporting around his situation.
In widely reported quotes, he said: "You know what's bad about all these interviews I see?
"I see certain interviews that quote what I said, and I think to myself: 'I ain't done no interviews. Where did this person get this information from?'
"I'm hearing people saying, 'AJ accepts £15m to step aside'. I ain't signed no contract, I ain't seen no contract.
"I'm the man in control of my destiny, I'm a smart individual and I make calculated decisions every step of the way."
Joshua was dethroned by Usyk, who was crowned WBA, WBO and IBF champion after a unanimous points decision victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on September 25.
Now 24-2, having also suffered a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 before winning their rematch, Joshua is set to step into the ring again with Usyk next year.
"Joshua is training now, and today we officially triggered the rematch for the Oleksandr Usyk fight, which we will see early next spring," Hearn told DAZN.
"So back in the game and looking for him to become a three-time heavyweight champion."
Joshua had been tipped for a long-awaited duel with Tyson Fury next year before his upset at the hands of Ukrainian opponent Usyk.
Fury is due to face Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas on Saturday as they conclude a contentious trilogy – the former won the second bout following a draw.
"As I said, I'll fight Tyson Fury, Wilder, without the belts. The belts are fun. It's great, it's legacy. But with or without the belts, I'll fight whoever," Joshua said after his loss to Usyk.
"The road to undisputed is a nice title to have and a nice title to chase.
"But would you still watch it, without the belts? That's the main thing – is you've got two competitive fighters in the ring from UK soil, that just want to go toe-to-toe."
Joshua stopped Francis Ngannou in the second round in March, his fourth straight win since suffering back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
His last two fights have been held in Saudi Arabia, but as he inches closer to a shot at regaining the titles he lost to Usyk three years ago, he is eyeing a return to his native London.
"It'll be some date between September 20 and September 25. Whenever they tell me there's a date, you know I'll be ready 100 per cent," Joshua told TalkSport of his next fight.
"It's going be in London, Wembley Stadium, this is what I'm being told. If this is what they say, they usually stick to their word."
Pushed on possible opponents, he said the result of Zhang's upcoming bout with Wilder – who was scheduled to face Joshua in March only for those plans to be derailed by a shock defeat to Joseph Parker – will be decisive.
"On June 1 in Saudi Arabia, they've got Filip Hrgovic versus Daniel Dubois and Zhilei Zhang versus Deontay Wilder. Out of that pool, that's who I'll be fighting."
On Wilder, Joshua added: "If he looks good, that'll reignite that flame that he had. Boxing is all about perception, so I pray he does his thing and Zhang does his thing, and I'm ready."
There has also been plenty of talk about Joshua facing Tyson Fury in an all-British tussle in recent years. The WBC heavyweight champion faces Usyk in a huge unification bout next month, and with a two-way rematch clause present in their deal, they are likely to face off twice before the year is out.
When those obligations have been met, Joshua will be waiting, saying: "I know the fans want that big fight with Fury, but he's got his obligations with Usyk.
"They're working on it but I've just got to stay focused, stay disciplined, steamroller through opponents and get closer and closer to having a fight with Fury. Hopefully that'll be in London as well."
Promoter Eddie Hearn this week said the location of the upcoming fight had been agreed by both fighters, but he did not disclose where it would take place.
A deal is in place for the pair to fight twice before the end of the year, with Fury invited to sign off the arrangements after talks with Hearn in Las Vegas.
Joshua holds the IBF, WBA and WBO titles, while the unbeaten Fury is the WBC champion after dethroning Deontay Wilder last year.
Saudi Arabia has been mooted as a potential location for the fight and may still stage the first clash, even if Joshua would love to tackle Fury in London. He has previously fought both at Wembley Stadium and in the adjacent SSE Arena.
"I've signed my side of the deal," Joshua told ITV's Jonathan Ross show.
"We've sent him a good offer, one I'm sure he won't refuse. He wants the fight, no doubt about it, so do I and more than me and him, the whole public want it. I put my crystal ball out there and I say it's going to happen this year 100 per cent."
Joshua added, according to several UK newspapers: "I'm pretty sure it'll be this year. End of July, early August.
"Where? That's what's the delay, because of this pandemic. We want to have people coming to the venue. It's just finding the right location. For me, Wembley would be ideal."
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said last week that the English capital is ready to host the lucrative fight, despite the restrictions in the country amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
A number of pilot events are taking place with spectators, in the hope crowds can return to normal capacity levels in the near future.
Snooker's 17-day World Championship began in Sheffield on Saturday with indoor crowds limited initially to one-third capacity, but there are plans for a full house come the final in May. Hearn's father, Barry Hearn, is the chairman of World Snooker.
Fury's most recent three bouts have all been staged in Las Vegas while Joshua reclaimed his titles from Andy Ruiz Jr in a rematch held in Saudi Arabia in December 2019.
The 2012 Olympic gold medal winner fought once in 2020, with Joshua beating Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena in front of a restricted number of fans.
Fury has offered terms to his compatriot for a bout in December, with the WBC belt on the line, for a fight long hailed as the 'Battle of Britain'.
A bout has been a long time coming, with an agreement in place for the pair to fight in Saudi Arabia last year before a court ordered Fury to honour his rematch with Deontay Wilder, who he subsequently beat in Las Vegas.
However, hopes of a unified clash with Joshua were ended by AJ's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, who then won the rematch with his fellow 2012 Olympic gold medallist last month.
That appeared to spell an end for Joshua at the summit of the heavyweight game, at least temporarily, but Fury has moved swiftly to offer an opportunity to his rival – with Hearn explaining Joshua's thinking is that this is his only shot.
"He thinks: this is my only chance, because if he fights Usyk, win or lose I think he'll retire or you never know with Fury, he could just never fight again," he told Sky Sports.
"The reason he accepts these terms is he feels this is the only chance he'll get to fight Tyson Fury. So, therefore, okay, it would have been better to come off a victory but we're here and [Joshua thinks] I can beat him and I feel good.
"When he drew to [Deontay] Wilder, we offered Fury the fight against AJ and we offered him 60-40 and he said no and he said I'll only take 50-50.
"That's one of the reasons I wanted to push back on some of the terms. But in the end it was AJ who overruled and said no just accept it. He's always believed he can beat him."
The next step to scheduling the fight is the signing of the contracts and, while Hearn perceives no issues with that, he is still wary as to whether Fury is genuine.
"Broadcasters need to have their discussions. Which I don't think will be a problem. It's actually not that complicated," he added.
"If they're genuine and George [Warren] tells me they are, then I think the fight will get made. I think George feels his instructions are to make the fight. But you just never know with Tyson Fury. Is this a ploy to speed up the Usyk fight, get more money from a site?
"It might have been a bluff, or a bit of publicity that actually turns into it happening. Or maybe it was genuine from the start. It could be anything. That's a sceptical view but right now I'm going along the lines of I believe him because I want to be positive and work together to make it happen."
Whether or not it is Fury that Joshua faces off against, Hearn has made it clear AJ will return to the ring before the end of the year.
"We've been looking at opponents for AJ for December and his list is very different to my list. So I don't think he's interested in opponents that he's just going to get no credit or respect for. Straight away when I asked him about this fight, he went, 'Let's do it'," he explained.
"He hasn't got any major injuries or anything like that. They want to do it. I think he's coming off a decent performance," the promoter added. "He just fancies the fight and fancies his chances. He's willing to roll the dice."
In his first fight on home soil in over two years, Joshua successfully defended his IBF, WBO and WBA titles with a ninth-round stoppage of Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena on Saturday.
The victory clears a major hurdle standing in the way of a unification clash with Fury, who holds the WBC belt following his victory over Deontay Wilder earlier this year.
For Joshua, the only thing that matters is his legacy as he looks to complete the set in 2021.
"I started this game in 2013, I've been chasing all the belts and dealing with mandatories," Joshua told Sky Sports Boxing.
"Of course I want a challenge. It's not about the opponent, it's about the legacy and the belt.
"Whoever has got the belt, I'd love to compete with them. If that is Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury. It's no big deal.
"It's just one fight at time, picking them off one at a time. I've got to stay focused."
Fury himself was quick to offer his verdict on social media, posting a video including a prediction of an early stoppage win in his favour, should the bout go ahead in 2021.
"He got asked if he wants the fight and he went around the bushes," Fury said in a Twitter post.
"I want the fight. I want the fight next – I will knock him out inside three rounds. He's a big bum dosser, I can't wait to knock him out."
On his performance against Pulev, who was knocked down four times in total, Joshua commented: "It's a fight – less talk, more action.
"We did our press conference on Thursday, on Friday there was a bit of back to back [at the weigh-in], but boxing is about less talk and more action.
"I hope everyone was satisfied tonight, not only with my fight but the whole undercard as well."
Usyk outclassed Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September to claim his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles.
The Brit activated a clause to step into the ring with Usyk for a second time, but The Daily Telegraph revealed he could step aside for a fee of £15million to pave the way for his compatriot Fury to do battle with the 35-year-old in a unification bout in the Middle East.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, revealed the 2012 Olympic champion has several options to mull over.
"I'm meeting with AJ and 258 management [on Tuesday] to go through plans for his next fight." he told Sky Sports.
"We have a number of proposals and options to discuss. The goal remains the same of course - to re-capture the world heavyweight crown."
Fury has not agreed a mandatory defence of his WBC strap with Dillian Whyte.
Usyk's promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, says it is up in the air over which Englishman will be his fighter's next opponent.
"We are in talks regarding the Fury fight since November," Krassyuk told Sky Sports.
"And though AJ gave his consent [reportedly] we still have not reached the final point in negotiations. And unless we get it - AJ rematch remains the basic option for us."
The former IBF, WBA and WBO champion relinquished his titles after an inspired performance by his Ukrainian opponent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Joshua failed to recover from a slow start and subsequently slipped to his second defeat in four fights, with Usyk prevailing after 12 rounds in a unanimous points decision to maintain his unbeaten record as a professional.
The two fighters are reportedly set to do battle once more in early 2022 after the dethroned heavyweight champion "activated in principle" a rematch clause.
Now 24-2, Joshua insists he knows where he went wrong as the Briton looks to reclaim his belts.
Posting on Instagram, he told his 13 million followers: "I've watched the fight, analysed my preparations and identified my mistakes.
"I've learnt my lesson. Thanks for sending love and checking in.
"Don't worry about me. My spirit is strong!"
Tyson, 54, will return to the ring for the first time in 15 years to take on 51-year-old Roy Jones Jr in an eight-round exhibition fight on September 12.
Jones was a four-weight champion – becoming the first former world middleweight ruler to win a heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons 106 years earlier when he beat John Ruiz in 2003.
The all-time great has a professional record of 66-9 and has not fought since February 2018.
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson retired with a 50-6 record following a defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005.
Reigning WBA, WBO and IBF king Joshua supports Tyson's return to the sport and hopes it can have a positive effect on boxing.
"Mike Tyson hitting the pads with that ferocious behaviour is just second nature to him, but to someone watching from home it looks like this guy's going to come and rule the heavyweight division," Joshua told Sky Sports.
"But I think that it's a passion they both love, it's what they know. Mike Tyson has been fighting since he was 13 years old. Roy Jones' dad pushed him and forced him to be a great.
"Good luck to them both, it's all they know. They haven't got to do it to compete with the young lions in the division now because we're bigger, we're stronger.
"Science has improved, there's more technology. The sporting world has developed as a whole.
"But if Mike Tyson wants to come back and fight someone from his era, for the love of the sport, crack on.
"I wish them both well, I hope they come out healthy and I hope it adds value to the sport of boxing – the sport we love."
Joshua seen his stock in the heavyweight division take a significant dip following back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, leaving the Brit with only two wins from his past five bouts.
However, Joshua continues to be linked with top-tier opponents, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder among them, but taking on Wallin is set to be his next challenge.
Dmitriy Salita, who represents Wallin, believes the correct approach would be for Joshua to face his client, with the winner then going on to face either Fury - who is expected to meet in Usyk in an undisputed fight.
"I had discussions with Eddie [Hearn] about Otto for a significant amount of time and as late as last week," he told the Sun.
"From what I understand it's really up to AJ. I believe he wants to place himself back in the heavyweight picture.
"Both Otto and AJ want a shot at Fury. By the numbers Otto landed more punches on Fury then anyone else ever.
"I believe the winner of that fight will have legitimate claim to challenge Fury probably after his fight with Oleksandr Usyk."
A bout with Dillian Whyte has been touted as the next test for Joshua but that proposal has been slammed by Salita.
Salita.would instead prefer the Brit to face a rematch with Jermaine Franklin after a majority decision for Whyte at Wembley last month.
"Whyte is 1-2 and in reality 1-3 in his last four fights. A fight with Joshua would be something like Roy Jones vs Mike Tyson or Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor, big names but not much behind it at this point," he added.
"Even if it's not against Jermaine, Whyte needs an impressive showing against someone credible to show that he still got the skills to pay the bills at an elite heavyweight level.
"He had four wins after that including Dominic Breazeale and Travis Kauffman, both credible at time of his victory. Otto is number three in the WBO and is a bona fide top heavyweight in the world.
"There have been lots of big names thrown around with Joshua including Tyson and Wilder. How serious that is will depend on who he fights next."
While Joshua said he was confident of bouncing back from last September's unanimous decision reverse, Ukrainian Usyk pledged to give his home country some cheer through his boxing after returning to aid against the Russian invasion earlier this year.
Joshua will be bidding to reclaim the unified WBO, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles on August 20, after falling to just the second defeat of his professional career against Usyk in London last year.
As the fighters looked ahead to their clash in Jeddah, Joshua said he was grateful for the opportunity to right the wrongs of his previous performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
"The great thing is I've got a second chance. What got me into boxing in the first place... when I was a youngster I got in a little bit of trouble every now and again, and I was blessed with a second chance and I found boxing," Joshua said.
"I took it with both hands. So if you know me and a lot of my story, you know I'm the comeback king. You can put me down, but it's difficult to keep me down.
"In the fight in September, I was wrong and he [Usyk] was right. Definitely the hunger is still there. Blips happen, things happen in life, but resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail."
The pair's second bout was delayed by Usyk returning to Kyiv in March to help defend Ukraine against Russian forces.
The 35-year-old Usyk, who is unbeaten in 19 professional fights, hopes he can offer some happiness to his countrymen when he returns to the ring.
"As we all know we are not in the best condition at the moment back at home, but we are doing what we have to do," Usyk said.
"We are doing our job. Together with my team we are working hard to achieve our goals. I never made some very loud and bright speeches.
"All I did was I just worked hard in my training camp and in my gym. That's what I'm going to do until the date of the fight, and then I will enter the ring and will make you happy with my boxing."
That is according to Fury's next opponent, Derek Chisora.
The Gypsy King will defend his title against Chisora on December 3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in what will be the third fight between the pair.
Fury beat Chisora when they first met in 2011, before also defeating him almost eight years ago.
A deal recently seemed to have been reached for Fury to face Joshua, with both parties appearing optimistic about contracts being signed.
However, after missing a deadline imposed by Fury, the champion's camp called negotiations off and instead turned attention to a bout against Chisora.
Despite being the new contender, Chisora has claimed Fury is unable to take his focus off Joshua, and defended AJ's decision not to sign the deal.
"AJ is living in Tyson's head rent-free," Chisora said. "Tyson wakes up every day thinking about AJ and cannot do an interview without mentioning AJ.
"AJ is off living his life, doing his own thing. I don't know why Tyson keeps talking about AJ.
"AJ could not take the fight because there were so many complications with sponsors and promoters.
"The fighters always want to fight, just fight, but the complications come from the business people around them who get in the way."
Heavyweight Joshua will defend the IBF, WBA and WBO titles on December 12 in what will be his first outing since regaining the belts from Andy Ruiz a year ago.
Hearn has confirmed 1,000 tickets will be available for the bill at Wembley Arena as restrictions are eased amid the coronavirus pandemic – and demand has understandably been high.
The promoter has confirmed Joshua has enjoyed a "great camp" as the 31-year-old understands what is at stake against Pulev, with a lucrative deal to fight Tyson Fury in place for 2021.
"He looks fantastic. I mean, he's under pressure, because we're here again, aren't we?," Hearn said, per Matchroom Boxing.
"Talk of the undisputed fight and just get through Ruiz, just get through Pulev, and we know what happened last time. All of his focus is on Kubrat Pulev, so he knows it's going to be a dangerous fight."
As for fans being present at the venue, Hearn added: "He is lifted by the fact that there'll be people in attendance because his whole career has been based on a huge crowd.
"When 50,000 people are trying to get 1,000 tickets, it's never going to be pretty, but it's progress. And that's important, but I feel like he's had a great camp.
"I feel like he's learning improving all the time. And I feel like you're going to get a great performance from him on December 12."
Joshua had been due to face Pulev, his mandatory challenger with the IBF, on June 20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the bout had to be postponed.
The pair had been scheduled to fight in 2017 but will now finally meet this month, with both having just a solitary loss on their professional records.
Pulev's only defeat was six years ago as he was stopped by reigning world champion Wladimir Klitschko. He has won eight on the spin since, including victories over Hughie Fury and Dereck Chisora.
Undefeated Usyk was crowned WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion after a unanimous points decision victory over Joshua at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25.
Joshua must now win a rematch, expected to be held in March 2022, to reclaim his belts, as he has done previously after suffering a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz in 2019.
Hearn insists Joshua will have a different approach next time after acknowledging his fighter and coach Rob McCracken got it all wrong in the first bout against former cruiserweight king Usyk.
He told talkSPORT: "Usyk is another level of boxing intelligence to anyone, so what is the last thing you do? Box him! And try to outbox him, try and be more intelligent than him.
"For some reason, AJ had it in his head that he could outbox him, maybe out of stubbornness or maybe a little bit of ignorance as well.
"Worst decision ever. The only way you're going to beat Usyk is to use your size, use your attributes.
"AJ is one of the most devastating punchers out there; great combination punching, speed, everything. You’ve got to back him up, you’ve got to beat him up.
"But these are all the things that maybe he knew he had to do, but he thought he could outbox Usyk, which is a disastrous strategy quite frankly."
Joshua will come into the rematch heavier in order to utilise his size and power advantage.
Hearn added: "In the rematch, there is no secrets. He's going to fight exactly the opposite; he's going to come in heavier, he's going to try to bulldoze him, beat him up.
"Usyk was saying after the fight, 'I was hurt a few times in the fight', and he was. From nothing.
"When AJ gets hold of him, it will be a different story. But, it's like [fighting] Tyson Fury, you've got to get hold of him.
"AJ has got to be ruthless, not completely reckless, but he was outboxed.
"He is not going to outbox Usyk. This is what has got to be drummed into him in camp, he loves watching these old fighters and the sweet science. Forget it.
"If the AJ that boxed Wladimir Klitschko boxed Usyk the other night, I believe he wins. So he has got to back to that devastating style which made him what he is.
"He has improved so much as a boxer, but right now, that is the last thing we need."
Fury completed a stunning seven-round demolition of knockout specialist Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas last month to collect the WBC title, while countryman Joshua holds the other three major heavyweight belts after avenging his defeat to Andy Ruiz with a comprehensive points win last December.
Usyk, who is like Fury undefeated and has a London 2012 gold medal in common with Joshua, cleaned out the cruiserweight division and has similar designs having stepped up to take on boxing's big men.
"I work hard on it," he told Sky Sports of his desire to hold all the heavyweight titles, with a scheduled May 23 bout against Dereck Chisora next on the agenda for the 33-year-old Ukrainian.
That fight, along with Joshua's IBF mandatory against Kubrat Pulev at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20 could yet fall victim to coronavirus cancellations.
Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn this week said the Pulev bout being shelved could lead to an immediate showdown with Fury.
Usyk, who is next in line with the WBO to challenge Joshua, is not overly concerned with such machinations.
"I want to fight both," the quicksilver southpaw replied when asked if he had a preference out of the two reigning champions.
"The last thing I think about is who will fight who. No predictions."
Usyk's step up to boxing's blue riband division has been checked by injury niggles, with a bicep problem delaying his heavyweight debut – a seventh-round stoppage of American journeyman Chazz Witherspoon that remains his only outing since knocking out Tony Bellew on a final cruiserweight assignment in November 2018.
"I need to stay active. I need to box," he added. "If your vocation is passive, it's not good. If you stay active, it's very good. This is my active vocation."
Entering the content having lost three of his past five, including the last two against Oleksandr Usyk to cede his heavyweight belts, Joshua faced his first non-title fight in 12 bouts.
The Brit's camp promised a new dawn for fans of the Olympian, but, despite being in control throughout against Franklin, he showed there was still plenty of work left on his comeback trail.
While Franklin did well to shrug off some heavy hits, he never truly mustered much of a threat and the scorecards reflected what was a largely one-sided affair.
Joshua came out of his corner firing, landing a powerful left jab in the first round and following it up with further shots in the second when he countered a Franklin hit to respond with a strike to the body.
Franklin then began to grow in confidence, sensing there may be an opportunity for an upset, before Joshua came the closest he would to a knockout blow after connecting with a big right-hand uppercut but missing his left swing.
Frustration then began to show for AJ, with Franklin halting any momentum he gained by holding his opponent, and Joshua struggled to create an opening to land a strong overhand right to follow up his consistent jabs.
Both fighters had big shots in the latter rounds, with Franklin surely aware he needed a knockout to clinch victory.
But that hit never came for the American and the scores ringside reflected a routine, albeit uninspiring, win for Joshua.
Scorecards: 118-111, 117-111, 117-111
Joshua, the IBF, WBA and WBO champion, was set to take on Fury in August in Saudi Arabia before a court arbitration in the United States ruled the WBC king must face Deontay Wilder for a third time.
Fury v Wilder III will take place in Las Vegas on July 24, with Joshua now set to face former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.
As high-quality as those two encounters promise to be, it still amounts to a less-than-ideal situation in terms of the fight boxing's glamour division demands.
Joshua reiterated his belief that the collapse of the bout remains the responsibility of Fury's handlers and pledged to make the bout happen.
"Unfortunately, his team let the whole boxing world down," he told Sky Sports. "I will still be here, still ready to put on a show.
"[The Fury fight can happen at the] end of the year. Let me get past Usyk first. But with or without Usyk in my life, I will fight Fury.
"Usyk isn't the be-all and end-all.
"Usyk doesn't determine the Fury fight. The Fury fight has to happen. It's a big fight, bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts.
"It will happen. After the Usyk fight, after I defend my belts.
"The fight will be bigger, better than what it would have been."
Fury pledged Joshua would be one of several leading heavyweights in line for "the biggest beatdown they have had in their lives" after he faces Wilder, who he believes "would knock Joshua out in the first round".
Joshua added: "I am 100 per cent sure that I will fight him and win. You've got to ask him the same question. I'm not too sure [what he would say].
"We did everything. During a global pandemic, the toughest time to organise a fight like that, we managed to have 20,000 fans available, a site fee, the media ready, my name was on the contract, I was in training.
"Then boom, they cancelled. I stay ready to fight them all because I'm a throwback fighter."
