Ricky Hatton has expressed his concerns for Anthony Joshua ahead of Friday night's showdown with Francis Ngannou.
Joshua will step into the ring with an opponent who has only had one previous professional boxing bout, despite Ngannou's impressive display in defeat to Tyson Fury last year.
However, speaking to Instant Casinos, 'The Hitman' laid out his concerns for Joshua, believing he could get hurt if he fails to maintain his footwork and ring mobility throughout the fight.
“It is a very interesting fight because AJ, as much as we love him, he can get hit and hurt," said Hatton.
"This could be a tricky night. Normally, from a defensive point of view, Fury is a lot harder to hit than AJ. I mean, AJ can sometimes be in front of you a little bit too much, which worries me in the Ngannou fight a little bit.
"There’s every chance that if Ngannou lands clean he could win, but if you’re asking me where my last pound would go, I think it’d be on AJ.”
Joshua heads into Riyadh off the back of three straight victories, and Hatton reckons there will be no chance of him showing the same complacency that saw Nagnnou put Tyson Fury to the mat.
Adding: “AJ has come back strongly. His performances have been getting better and better all the time. I think he’s going to shine against Ngannou. I think Fury took Ngannou lightly, he didn’t come in in the best of shape.
"Tyson was very easy to hit because he didn’t come in as trim as he normally does, so his upper body movement wasn’t good and Ngannou was able to nail him. I think this is a fight where AJ can shine.
"He does have great boxing ability, he’s won an Olympic gold medal and he’s a two-time heavyweight champion for a reason.”
Live on DAZN PPV: Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou on March 8. Click here for details