Anthony Joshua and David Haye set next fight dates before potential summer showdown

Anthony Joshua is scheduled to return to the ring against an unnamed opponent on 9 April, while David Haye will be back in action six weeks later on 21 May at the O2 Arena in London for his second fight since returning to the ring.

After a three-and-a-half-year absence, Haye, 35, beat Mark de Mori in just 131 seconds in January and is targeting an all-British showdown with Joshua this summer. The former world heavyweight champion is looking to return to the top 10 of the WBA rankings before then against an opponent also yet to be named.

Joshua, who last fought when he recorded knockout number 15 against Dillian Whyte in December 2015, meanwhile could about to be offered an IBF world title eliminator against Carlos Takam. German fighter Erkan Teper is next in line to challenge current champion Charles Martin, but after testing positive for a banned substance, he may lose his spot.

"Teper and Takam are the next two, but if there is a problem with either one, we would go to Joshua," IBF championships chairman Lindsey E Tucker told Sky Sports. "If Teper is out, yes it will be Takam and Joshua. They will be fighting for the number one position, which is the mandatory challenge. We would give them the standard 30-day negotiation period and then if they did not reach the decision we would call for a purse bid."

Joshua's next opponent, with the fight also to take place at the O2 Arena, will be announced next week.