Lennox Lewis has told promoter Eddie Hearn "to stop milking the cow" and make the world heavyweight title unification fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

WBA-IBF-WBO world champion Joshua is expected to make a decision on his next fight by next week, with three options reportedly under consideration: either against English rivals Dillian Whyte or Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium on April 13, or against American Jarrell Miller in New York in June.

Joshua has made four defences of all three belts but his fellow Briton Lewis, the former undisputed world heavyweight champion who last fought in 2003, believes his progress has stalled and has urged him to fight the winner of Wilder-Fury II later this year.

Unified heavyweight world titlist Anthony Joshua may have taken some flak in 2018 for the fights he did not have, but he remains ESPN's British No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter for the year.

"Joshua is the man to beat in the division. He's a marketing dream and has great looks and personality," Lewis told his website locfoundation.org.

"All this is great when packaging him as a product, but as a fighter who's been there, I find it a bit difficult to understand why Joshua wasn't as pressed to lift that WBC belt from Wilder as he was to get the IBF belt from Charles Martin.

"I think, in the event that both Joshua and Wilder are able to remain undefeated and face each other for the undisputed title, that the proper splits should be around 60/40 -- 55/45 in Joshua's favour for the first bout and 60/40 for the winner of first bout in a rematch.

"Right now, Joshua is a big fish swimming in a little pond. They are using the model that the Klitschkos had in Germany and applying it to England. I'm not mad at that, but even the Klitschkos fought in other countries.

"As a world champion, he has to come out of his comfort zone. I don't blame him for being leery about coming to America, especially if you go by the bad judges' decisions that happen there in so many fights, but at some point, if he wants to achieve a worldwide box office status, he will have to fight in front of audiences outside of the U.K."

WBC titleholder Wilder is considering an offer from Fury's British promoter Frank Warren about a rematch after their December clash ended in a points draw.

Fury won the WBA, IBF and WBO belts in November 2015 from Wladimir Klitschko but gave up the titles due to various problems before making a successful comeback last year.

Joshua and Hearn could not make a deal with Wilder last year, so the American fought Fury instead.

Lewis, who beat the likes of Vitali Klitschko, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, also criticised Hearn for not making Joshua-Wilder last year.

"I thought it was ludicrous that Hearn started off by offering Wilder a pay cheque for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world, instead of a percentage, especially when you consider that they did a 65/35 split with Joseph Parker for a unification bout.

"I understand that promoters must have a plan mapped out for their fighters, and Eddie has done well by Joshua up to now, but at some point, you gotta stop milking the cow and let it go, do what bulls do. It's also on the fighter to take the bull by the 'Hearn', and say "make this fight!" That's how legacies are built.

"With Wilder Fury II happening, Eddie is now scrambling for a viable opponent for Joshua. If Joshua handles his business in April, the winner of Wilder Fury II should take on Joshua for the undisputed title.

"If that doesn't happen, then we know that it's just about milking the British fans for as much money as possible, instead of bringing the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world back home to them for the second time in their lifetime. Just that simple.

"As a fan, I'm looking forward to seeing how the division gets sorted out, and when we have the emergence of one undisputed champion. I'm hoping the end of 2019, we will have our answers on just who that will be.

"I've recently heard Eddie Hearn talking about how he doesn't like what I've said in regards to the Wilder negotiations in 2018. Eddie needs to put his big boy pants on and understand that criticism and scrutiny are a part of the game. No boxer or promoter is above it."