Carl Froch believes Anthony Joshua may want to hang up the gloves for good if he doesn't beat Francis Ngannou on Friday night.
The pair meet in the big heavyweight main event clash in Riyadh, where Joshua takes on an opponent who is competing in only his second-ever professional boxing fight.
Last year, Ngannou shocked the world with his impressive debut display against Tyson Fury, but speaking to Lucky Block, former world champion Froch thinks a loss for Joshua could make the 34-year-old consider retiring from the sport.
“Depending on how the fight goes with Ngannou, and if he was to lose, there’s always options for him," Froch said.
"A loss isn’t always the end of the road. I’m not going to say if he loses to Ngannou he should retire. But if he does lose to Ngannou in a bad fight and gets knocked out, he’ll probably want to retire.
"Because you’ve made that much money, you’re in such a good position financially, why go on boxing and getting your head punched in when you don’t need to? That’s why I retired. I retired at 36 years old, because I thought I’d made enough money, I’ve got three kids at home and I’m healthy.”
However, on the flip side, if Joshua does get the job done in the Middle East, Froch can see the heavyweight division opening up for the British fighter if he gets a statement victory.
Adding: “I think Anthony Joshua will be licking his lips. He’s in against somebody who’s making his second professional boxing match. He’s a heavyweight mixed martial arts world champion, one of the most dangerous men on the planet but it’s only his second fight as a professional.
"So really and truly, this fight for Anthony Joshua will be as easy or as hard as he wants to make it. I think AJ can get behind his boxing ability, the boxing skills that won him Olympic gold in London in 2012 and a two-time world heavyweight champion.
"He’s got the experience of being in with the best in the world and he can sit back and just see how this heavyweight landscape sort of pans out.”