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The heavyweight champion produced a devastating ninth round knockout to retain his IBF, WBO and WBA belts, but attention quickly turned to the possibility of a unification bout with Fury.
Joshua seemed reluctant to talk about his rival at first, but fans roared with approval when asked if they’d like to see the two square off.
“Of course I want the challenge. It’s not about the opponent, it’s about the legacy and the belt.
“Whoever has the belt, I would love to compete with them. If that’s Tyson Fury, make it Tyson Fury. It’s not a big deal.
“It’s one fight at a time, taking them out one by one. That’s what it’s all about for me. I have to stay focused.”
‘The biggest fight in boxing’
Fury is the reigning WBC champion and he took to social media to call Joshua after the fight, predicting that he would stop the 31-year-old in three rounds.
“I want the fight. I want the fight next. I will knock him out in three rounds,” he said in a video posted on Twitter.
The reaction from the 1,000 spectators allowed at Wembley Arena on Saturday showed that there is a huge appetite for the fight.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said it would happen next year.
“Starting tomorrow, we do the Tyson Fury fight right away,” he told Sky Sports.
“It is the only fight that can be done in boxing. It is the biggest fight in boxing. It is the biggest fight in the history of British boxing.”
Devastating ending
Joshua shook off the rust of the lockdown with a comfortable win over his tough opponent on Saturday.
After a cautious start, Pulev faced the count twice in the third round when Joshua connected with a volley of shots.
The Bulgarian, who has now lost just twice in his career, continued to smile at Joshua despite getting beaten up by the champion and deserves credit for taking the fight as far as he did.
But Joshua, who deployed his signature uppercut to good effect throughout, finally exhausted his opponent and knocked him out in the ninth round with a devastating straight right hand.
