Tyson Fury's imminent return to boxing takes another step closer as talk continues to speculate over a proposed date for a fight against Anthony Joshua.

Fury has been dealing with personal issues outside of the boxing ring, with drug abuse and mental illnesses stated, but now has a fight against Joshua firmly set in his mind.

Following an interview with talkSPORT earlier this week, it was announced that Fury believes Joshua would be the "the easiest fight of his career".

A confident Fury stated: "If the country wants me to fight a weightlifter, then that is what I will fight. No problem.

"It gives me motivation that a lot of people have picked him to beat me, as I have said many times, we are in a sport that is called sweet science, not a bodybuilding contest or a strong man competition.

"When you can't box and move, slip and slide and ride shots and one man can, it is an easy fight."

Joshua is fresh from a mammoth victory over Wladimir Klischko at Wembley last month, who funnily enough was Fury's last opponent.

The Brit famously knocked out the Ukrainian in the 11th round at Wembley, despite being seriously wobbled in the 6th, and his attentions are now firmly focused on the future.

With a rematch against Klitschko possibly lined up, and/or a fight with Deontay Wilder, there is one fight on everyone's lips, and that is Joshua vs Fury.

And despite been out of the sport for such a long time, Fury is now ready more than ever to get back into the ring, and claims that iconic promoter Eddie Hearn has a date booked for the fight.

"I will give him a boxing lesson and he will get so tired of chasing me around, trying to land big punches and missing all the time", stated Fury.

"I would stop him in the late half of the fight.

"He was landing big shots easy but I ain't 41, I am 28. I will be 29 next year when the fight happens.

"Eddie Hearn (Joshua's promoter) has already booked a date in: the 18th of April 2018."

So there we have it folks, April 18 2018. Pencil it in your calendars and let's hope Fury can get back into shape in time.

He also needs to get his boxing license back, but it's looking like that will happen near the end of the year.