Joseph Parker and then Deontay Wilder – that's the preferred hit list for Anthony Joshua as the big Brit looks to unify the heavyweight boxing titles.
Joshua's suave promoter Eddie Hearn laid out his ideal plans for 2018, provided his man can come through his defence of the IBF and WBA belts against brutish Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in Cardiff on October 28.
Hearn felt Wilder, the big-hitting WBC champion, held more appeal than Parker, the undefeated WBO champion who is yet to win over British audiences on the back of his recent ugly defence against Hughie Fury in Manchester.
"I think that's going to be the big fight," Hearn told Boxing News of Joshua stepping in the ring with American Wilder.
"Joshua wants all the belts. So you've got the Parker fight as well. Obviously Parker didn't look the best last time out. It's a tougher fight to sell now. But it's still a unification fight.
"The fight I look for Parker is either Joshua in February/March or Tony Bellew, if he beats David Haye. That's the two fights we've got. Or Dillian Whyte. But he (Parker) doesn't want to fight Dillian Whyte."
It's understood Parker's backers at Duco Events believe the money offered to fight Whyte didn't stack up.
But they are unlikely to rush into an early unification fight with Joshua either.
They would rather see Parker build his profile with a further fight in Britain ahead of that, knowing that the WBO belt gives them plenty of bargaining power.
Ideally that will come against the winner of the Haye v Bellew rematch to be fought in London in December.
Both are dangerous options, fighters who like to stand and trade. But that suits Parker's style rather than the elusive game Fury employed to frustrate the Kiwi. And both Haye and Bellew are pumped up cruiserweights with Parker backing his superior size and tested chin to survive the challenge of either.
That fight would represent a superior pay day to Whyte and if Parker came through that, it would ratchet up his UK value and potential earnings from a clash with Joshua.
Duco Events would like to see Joshua unification fight in the middle of next year.
In the meantime, Parker's promoter David Higgins continues to work through options for a December bout to keep his fighter busy.
Higgins has several options in front of him and is weighing them up against each other to find the best fight in terms of money, appeal and moving Parker forward.
Higgins hopes to be able to unveil the opponent next week.
After three successive points decisions, they need to come up with a credible fighter Parker can bowl over to regain his knockout menace.
Parker finally has a voluntary defence and can choose his opponent.
Japanese heavyweight Kyotaro Fujimoto, the WBO No 8, has genuine appeal.
China's Zhilei Zhang, the WBO No 12, is also an option in the lucrative Asian market.
Russian Alexander Povetkin's handlers have reportedly been sounding out the Parker camp though those talks may have gone cold.
Rugged Australian Lucas Browne would guarantee trans-Tasman rivalry although he might not be available before the end of the year.
Higgins has the wise shoulder of veteran American promoter Bob Arum to lean on for options in the United States while Arum also holds keys to the Asian market.
Photo: REUTERS (Caption: With the IBF and WBA belts, Britain's Anthony Joshua is the man to beta in the heavyweight division)