Ricky Hatton has admitted he would struggle to predict the winner of a potential fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua - though thinks the Gypsy King would just about edge it.
Fans have long wanted the pair to go up against each other, especially due to their fierce relationship.
Joshua admitted he was eager to face Fury after his emphatic victory over Otto Wallin in December.
Fury, for his part, has previously accused his fellow Briton of being too scared to face him.
Boxing news: Ricky Hatton has tipped Tyson Fury to just about edge a potential fight with Anthony Joshua
GETTY
Hatton is close to Fury and, as a former boxer himself, has watched Joshua's rise from Olympic hero to heavyweight star.
And now, speaking to OLBG, he's admitted a fight between the duo would be close to call.
"I wouldn’t like to say," he said.
"AJ has found good form in his last couple of fights with an impressive knockout two fights ago and his last performance was very solid.
"Tyson struggled against Ngannou, so the big question is, and I’m saying this as a friend of Tyson and a boxing fan, did Tyson take Francis too lightly or has the Wilder fights took its toll on Tyson?
"The three fights Tyson and Wilder had most certainly taken its toll on Wilder.
"He looked nowhere near the same person against Joseph Parker, he looked a shot fighter whereas Tyson looked the same against Ngannou.
"But it’s whether he took Francis too lightly or whether the fights have taken its toll on Tyson, and we won’t know until we see him out next."
When asked how big a clash would be, he continued: "You don’t get a bigger fight.
"It’s one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
"It’s a great clash of styles. Tyson’s always in entertaining fights, so is AJ, and it was only a couple of fights ago we thought his best days were behind him but in his last couple of fights he has looked really impressive.
"But Tyson on the other hand has been the best heavyweight for a good number of years and I still have him as number one, but we just need to know what Tyson has got left.
"Don’t forget it’s not just the three Wilder fights, it’s the lifestyle he’s had as well where he’s had to lose 10 stone in the past and what it does to the body and then having them three wars with Deontay Wilder.
"It might be too many miles on the clock for Tyson or maybe he took him lightly because he didn’t look in the best shape.
"He’s not built like Anthony Johsua, but you can see that he has definitely been in better shape than last time out.
"But I hope we can get it on as it would be a tragedy for British boxing if the biggest fight in British history wasn’t made because they couldn’t make a deal.
"That’d be a crying shame for our sport. I edge towards Tyson but I’m not as confident as what I was."
With Hatton's time in boxing now over, he's primed to appear on Dancing on Ice this weekend.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
- Michael Schumacher health update with F1 icon 'sitting at the dinner table' according to insiders
- Joey Barton rants about woke 'ruining the f*****g country' after seeing clip from World War Two veteran
- Eloise Milburn denies relationship rumour about Luke Littler as darts star prepares for Premier League debut
Boxing news: Tyson Fury and Ricky Hatton are good friends
GETTY
And the Manchester City superfan is looking forward to the experience, with preparations going well.
"It couldn’t be going any better if I’m being honest, I’ve surprised myself," he said.
"Needless to say, I’ve never done ice skating before in my life so the first day I couldn’t put one foot in front of the other, I couldn’t even walk or do a step.
"So, from where I am now, I’m definitely not one of the favourites or an ice skater, but from the first day to the present day I’m absolutely delighted.
"I’ve had a massive satisfaction from doing it.
"The first day on the ice, I told my manager, ‘this isn’t for me look at everyone else and look at me’ but I stuck at it and I think people will be very surprised but I’m not going to win it.
Boxing news: Anthony Joshua would be the underdog ahead of any potential fight with Tyson Fury
GETTY
"It'll certainly be entertaining there’s no doubt about that.
"But from where I’ve come from, I didn’t think I would be at this stage.
"I was looking around at the other contestants who have done a little bit here or there, but I’ve not done anything, and I get a huge buzz when I go to training or I’m driving home or going back to the hotel.
"It’s a nice feeling because talk about being out of my comfort zone, when you think about ice skating you don’t think of Ricky Hatton.
"I’m really enjoying it, I’ve met some lovely people and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done."