Anthony Joshua has taken a giant step towards a $83million showdown against fellow world champion Tyson Fury.
Immediately after Joshua's two-round demolition of Charles Martin to win the IBF world title at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday he spoke of his desire to fight his British heavyweight rival.
'It's bound to happen. We can't go through this whole era dodging each other, that would be silly,' said Joshua.
'I'm going to walk through Fury when he's ready. I mean business and I'm here to stay.'
But first Joshua is likely to take on American Bryant Jennings or Haiti-born Canadian Bermane Stiverne, while Fury has his re-match against Wladimir Klitschko in July.
Talking of a battle with Fury, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said: 'We are looking at a £40milion fight, what with two million pay-per-view buys, the Wembley gate, the overseas TV rights and so on.'
Fury was unimpressed by Joshua's thunderous knockout win over Martin, tweeting: 'So AJ gets a belt, looked slow ponderous, & still looked like a bodybuilder, let me slay the lamb.'
Before the fight he claimed to have bet £1000 on Martin winning via knockout.
The IBF belt that Joshua won on Saturday was harshly stripped from Fury soon after he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in November, and he is still the main man in the division after his unanimous decision victory over the Ukrainian in Dusseldorf.
Joshua is confident of victory when they meet, however, and said on Saturday that he would beat Fury and David Haye 'on the same night.'