Tony Bellew believes Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua will struggle to deal with the harsh reality facing the loser of their British heavyweight showdown.
It may have been a decade in the making but Fury and Joshua's eagerly anticipated bout looks set to finally take place, with a date earmarked for November.
With the former heavyweight world champions two of the biggest personalities in sport, Bellew warned a rude awakening awaits whoever comes out second best.
"Whoever loses between Joshua and Fury, it will be really hard for them to take. The loser faces a harsh reality," former cruiserweight world champion Bellew told Your Site.
"If we're honest both are slightly past their best but it's not going to stop anyone from tuning in because we all need to see this happen. This fight has been dodged for far too long."
While a provisional contract is understood to have been signed by both fighters, a date and venue have yet to be confirmed for what is widely regarding to be the biggest fight in British boxing history.
For Bellew it is imperative for the blockbuster bout to take place on British soil but concedes the kingmakers brokering the fight have the ultimate say.
"It's the biggest fight in British boxing history," Bellew added. "It's got to happen here, it's vital. It's the right thing to do for everybody involved.
"If it goes abroad, so be it, whoever is paying for it has the right to do what they want with it and put it wherever they see fit."
Before Fury and Joshua meet, they must first navigate must-win warm-up fights, with Fury facing Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday and Joshua taking on Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Bellew understands Joshua's decision to face Prenga after not fighting a serious opponent since Daniel Dubois in December 2024, but questions why Fury feels he needs another bout after beating Arslanbek Makhmudov in April 2026.
"I get it with AJ because he hasn't fought in so long when it wasn't the best result for him," Bellew said, citing Joshua's fifth-round knockout to Dubois.
"I'm not classing the Jake Paul fight as a real fight; he fought a guy who used to be on the Disney Channel. He didn't even fight him; he chased him down and slapped him.
"AJ wants rounds, he needs rounds. We need to see what Joshua has left in this Prenga fight. This camp will tell us all we need to know.
"We've seen Fury in the ring against Makhmudov. I'm a bit more worried about Fury, why does he feel he needs more rounds?
"Maybe it's just boxing, guys want to stay active, stay busy. A guy who's living in the gym is always going to be happy, that is what Fury is doing, he's living in the gym."
