Anthony Joshua has been warned he could be "chinned" if he agrees to an interim fight with Deontay Wilder.
The British star us due to face Oleksandr Usyk this summer but their rematch is likely to be delayed with the Ukrainian taking up arms against the Russian invasion.
Joshua has drawn up a five-fighter shortlist for an interim fight to remain active which includes the 'Bronze Bomber' and domestic rival Joe Joyce.
But he has been told by Carl Froch to avoid the interim fight even though the retired star believes fans would love to see the clash.
“Business point of view, don’t fight Deontay Wilder because you’re probably going to get chinned. He’s a massive puncher,” Froch told Intu Boxing.
“There’s a chance you’ll get chinned. If you catch one on the chin, you’re going over. I don’t care if your name is Anthony Joshua or whatever your name is in the heavyweight division.
"He can knock you out with one punch. Tyson Fury nearly found that out a couple of times. So, yeah, I understand why Eddie Hearn said it’s a dangerous fight, but it’s a great fight for the fans. Go on and jump in there with Deontay Wilder, we all want to see it."
Wilder knocked Fury down twice in his previous fight before being stopped in the penultimate round of their trilogy fight last year.
His future remains currently uncertain but his manager Shelly Finkel previously admitted that a long-awaited clash with Joshua could be an option for a ring return.
Joshua plans to stay active in the midst of uncertainty over Usyk's availability, and has tasked his promoter Eddie Hearn with finding an interim opponent.
He will need to bounce back after being comfortably outpointed by the new unified champion last September.
Who would win if the pair fought - Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder? Let us know in the comments section below
Fighter such as Luis Ortiz and Otto Wallin have presented themselves as alternative options if Joshua is unable to secure a clash with Wilder.
His promoter Hearn has claimed that it cannot really be branded an interim fight, and has admitted any clash with Wilder could be bigger than his eventual rematch with Usyk.
"Let's be honest, it's not an interim fight is it?" Hearn told iFL TV. "It could be bigger than a fight with Usyk.
"Everyone thinks I'm always just championing AJ or whatever, but this guy has proved time and time again that he has no fear of fighting any of these people.
"A name that was mentioned recently was Trevor Bryan, and when I said that to AJ he came back with 'what about Wilder? What about Ortiz?'
"He's all about legacy, resume, challenges and we're lucky as fans to have him because do you know how many people right now would go 'give me an easy touch, someone I can knock over in a round and then we'll move on to Usyk'?"
