Carl Froch on Fury vs Joshua doubts, the Fury family and why Conor McGregor should retire

I'm not convinced it happens. They've both got to come through another fight, they've both got to come through another training camp and they're both getting older. I know what it feels like to be 34, 35 or 36, with injuries, mindset and desire. I got to the point where I had £10 million in the bank and thought, F* this. I don't need another couple of million. It's not really going to change my life.

I wasn't worth £100 million, but I was worth a few quid and I still had to drag it out of myself. These lads have got to go to the well again. Their opponents aren't in their league, but they still have to train. They're both fit and capable of fighting around the same time, so they should be in the ring together. Instead, they're taking part in two potential banana skins where one of them could get injured, lose or look terrible. Then they've got to agree to the contracts again and renegotiate everything. Until they've both come through their fights, agreed the contracts and signed everything, I'm not convinced. I'll just wait for the official news.

Why are we accommodating American television for a British superfight? I've got reservations about whether it's even a superfight now anyway, because there are no world titles at stake, they've both been beaten and they're both past their best. It is a fight I'm going to watch and, like Eddie Hearn said, when these two come together you get interested and excited to a degree. But come on, I'm not that excited. If those two didn't fight, I wouldn't care less. Six or seven years ago, it was probably the biggest fight in British boxing history. Now they're both past their best and it's a money grab. It's probably third or fourth on the list of the biggest British fights. I also wouldn't hold Sadiq Khan responsible if it doesn't happen, because logistically, with Transport for London, the police and British Transport Police, they've all got to look at nearly 80,000 fans leaving the stadium at four in the morning and ask where they're all going to go. It's a potential f*ing nightmare, isn't it?

The bottom line is money. Fury and Joshua have both already earned more than £100 million, so you would like to think the money should not affect them. People will say another £10 million is still £10 million, but when you are already worth £100 million, it does not meaningfully change your life. It would be nice if they dug their heels in and said, We have been supported by the British fans throughout our careers, so let us give something back and hold this British fight in Britain. But if Netflix insists on an American-friendly time, they might as well take the fight to America. If I had to guess, I would say the fight takes place in America.

It looks like free money to me. If somebody leaves a bag of money on the table and says it is yours if you want it, you pick it up and give it to your children. I do not see it as a serious fight. It would be an exhibition, we could have some fun and I would finally get to shut John Fury up.

It would be a humiliating body-shot beating. I would target the breadbasket and give him the occasional jab to the face. He might manage to close the distance, walk through three or four body shots, grab me, throw me on the floor, roll around, headbutt me or use an elbow. Who knows? It could become messy. In my head, I would keep him away and drill the body until he fell over. If he did not fall over, I might, because I have not boxed for 12 years. That would be a disaster. But I am up for it. He called for it, I would be paid well and I see it as easy money.

I would have a little two-on-one, but with Tommy's age, size and activity, having them both in there at the same time would put me at quite a big disadvantage. I totally think I could beat him and his dad on the same night, but one after the other. I'd warm up on Big John, probably get him out of there in a round or two, and then set about Tommy. Tommy can't go the distance with me. It's impossible. He's not good enough. Even though I'm old, people don't understand the art of pugilism and the skill level and ability needed to compete with an experienced professional. Tommy Fury is a raw novice in boxing terms. He nearly lost to Jake Paul, for f*'s sake. He can't live with me. Easy work for the Cobra. I'd take both of them out on the same night. But if they want it to be two against two and want to keep it in the family, I'll bring my big brother Lee, Big Lee the Renovator. I think Lee splatters Tommy.

The loser deletes their social media? That is a great suggestion. I actually think John is quite pleasant when he is calm. I see some of his Instagram videos and quite like him. When he is sitting in the sun on his blue-and-white deckchair, filming his motorhome and calling it paradise, he can be quite endearing. I also think he comes across well on the Netflix series. I genuinely think he is sound. The problem is when the red mist comes over him, he gets attention and suddenly turns into a weirdo. It is not even funny. It becomes cringeworthy, and I normally enjoy awkward comedy. I love David Brent and I am the king of dry and awkward humour, but even John makes me cringe. So it would almost be a shame if he deleted Instagram because his normal content can be entertaining. I do not really have a personal problem with him. It is that other side of him that causes the issue.

I thought he was finished a few years ago. I said on my YouTube channel beforehand that Max Holloway would splatter him. I don't know mixed martial arts that well, but I follow it a little bit. But what I do understand is combat sports, fitness, age, inactivity and desire, and Conor McGregor doesn't have any of those things in his favour anymore. When you finish boxing or any combat sport for a year, you become civilised. You become weak and soft. It's like Rocky and the eye of the tiger. The guy who was driven and hungry isn't the same guy anymore. I'm not giving McGregor stick or slagging him off. He's a UFC legend. I've got so much admiration for him. I think he's brilliant. What he's done for the game and what he's done for himself is unbelievable. I hold him in legendary status in the UFC. But I thought he was going to get done. We didn't see him get beaten up or outclassed because his knee went. I don't know whether it was the ACL, PCL, medial ligament or something else. The way the leg twisted looked like the inside of the knee, but I'm no expert.

I was disappointed for him, and I feel a bit pd off that I said he'd get splattered beforehand because at least he was having a go. But why is he having a go? Why is he fighting again? I don't understand it. Don't put your body in harm's way and don't put your head in punching range to take impactful shots to the brain, which could do damage you never walk away from, when you're already financially secure. We're prizefighters. We fight to get paid. Why are you fighting when you've already been paid enough to last for the rest of your life? I understand it with Floyd Mayweather if he's spent all his money, although anybody who can blow hundreds of millions has got to be stupid, in my opinion. It's not hard to protect your wealth when you're worth that much, unless you're spending it on gambling, luxury items and flying private everywhere. But with McGregor, I've got bags of admiration and bags of respect. Fair play to him, but what did you think was going to happen? His body fell apart.

You could look at Mayweather again because it's a rematch and Mayweather is well past his best, but the first boxing match was so one-sided that it's not especially interesting. My genuine advice is retire. If he wants an exhibition on Misfits, fine, but I can't think of the right opponent off the top of my head. Otherwise, just stay retired. He's effectively been retired for five years. Concentrate on his bare-knuckle boxing business and everything else he's doing.

No. Logan Paul is fit, active through professional wrestling and much bigger. McGregor may put on some weight, but he is still naturally the smaller man. I would tell McGregor to stay well away because he could end up being rendered unconscious.

Potentially, if WWE is interested. But again, it would be an exhibition and a gimmick rather than a return to serious elite competition.

I have always believed Tyson Fury is far more naturally talented. Joshua started boxing relatively late, although he won an ABA title and an Olympic gold medal, so he is obviously very good. But Fury's skill, work rate and speed, although all of those attributes are now diminishing, should still be too much for Joshua. Fury has the ability to stay away from him, walk him onto shots, move around him and avoid being caught cleanly. Joshua can certainly knock Fury out, especially because Fury has been on the floor several times in recent fights. You cannot say Joshua has no chance because he has the power to hurt him. But my prediction is Fury by late stoppage or on points. We have not seen enough of Joshua recently to know exactly what is left.

At the time, AJ fought most of the people who were mandatory for his belts. He beat Wladimir Klitschko and fought the likes of Alexander Povetkin, so he has got names on his record. But he never fought Deontay Wilder, and he never fought Luis Ortiz when Ortiz was a dangerous name. Then you look at the way he lost to Usyk, the way he got badly knocked out by Daniel Dubois and the defeat to Andy Ruiz, who hasn't got many other significant wins on his record. Unfortunately, Joshua's record eliminates him from being in the Hall of Fame. It's not me simply saying he doesn't deserve it or he isn't good enough. Just look down the record. There are too many negatives, and I think that will eliminate him from being selected for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Eddie Hearn once said Joshua should be in the Hall of Fame because of what he's done for boxing. I disagree. The International Boxing Hall of Fame should be based on results, who you beat and who beat you. Yes, Joshua is a two-time heavyweight champion, but he's also been flattened a few times. You have to be realistic. I don't think he gets in. Tyson Fury hasn't got enough names on his record either. His biggest wins are Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, and he has now lost twice to Usyk. Where are all the other significant wins on Tyson Fury's career that put green ticks in all the boxes? There aren't any. So unfortunately, they won't be joining the Cobra anytime soon, or Roberto Durán, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather and the other names in the upper echelons of boxing.

If Ryan Garcia is at his best and firing at 100%, I don't think Conor Benn has a chance, unfortunately. You can be as strong-willed, fit, full of desire and confident as you want, but if you're not good enough, it doesn't matter. I learned that against Andre Ward. I wasn't good enough, and that's what boxing does at the highest level. It separates you. Benn hasn't got much chance of landing one lucky punch at 147 either because he didn't look like a big puncher against an ageing Regis Prograis and ended up going the distance. It's a really, really tough task. I can see a world in which Benn wins, but Garcia would have to turn up at about 70 or 80%. Garcia has fast hands, good skills and real punching power, and he'll be strong at the weight. Benn at 147 could be badly weight-drained. He looked terrible making 150 and he isn't a massive puncher.

Fury against Mariusz Wach is the same as putting the best Sunday League football team on the pitch against Manchester City or Arsenal. It would be a whitewash. Every now and again in the FA Cup, you get an anomaly where somebody from League One or League Two beats a Premier League reserve side, but if you put the best Sunday League team against the best Premier League team, that's what you're getting with Fury and Wach. Fury is past his best, but Wach has been struggling for years. It's an easy fight for Fury and basically a warm-up sparring session. He should take his time and get a few rounds.

Joshua's fight is more difficult to be totally certain about because we know very little about his opponent and we don't know what version of Joshua exists now. Joshua was badly beaten by Dubois, then had to go five or six rounds with Jake Paul, whether he was holding him up or not. He got the job done and never got out of first gear, but mentally we don't know where he is, especially after the car crash in which his friends died. I expect Joshua to beat an unknown opponent comfortably. The opponent has a lot of wins and knockouts on paper, but who has he been knocking out? We don't know. You can hardly find any footage of him. I'd say there's a 90% chance of an easy Joshua win against somebody who probably can't stand up straight in a proper boxing ring. They're not going to make the mistake of putting Joshua in with somebody dangerous who can genuinely fight and punch. So Fury is 100% an easy little sparring session, no problem. Joshua should be the same, with the slight caveat that we don't know what version of Joshua is left. Two easy wins and two pointless fights. If Fury and Joshua are both fit and capable of getting into the ring, they should be fighting each other. Instead, this creates another potential slip-up that could mean the fight never happens.

A fight with Deontay Wilder should be fairly straightforward for him and it's a legacy fight because Wilder is a recognisable name. Or he could have a rematch with Rico Verhoeven because a lot of people are moaning and bitching about the ending. Usyk could take the rematch seriously this time, really show him up and probably get him out of there within six rounds. That would shut down the questions at the end of his career, in the same way I did with George Groves. He shouldn't be fighting Joshua or Fury again because they've both had their chances. He's at risk of destroying what is an unbelievable career and what will go down as one of the best heavyweight careers of all time. If he carries on and gets beaten, people remember your final fights. Look at Mike Tyson at the end of his career, losing to Danny Williams, Kevin McBride and other fighters. People remember the end. Imagine that happening to Usyk, who is one of the greatest of all time. He's unbelievable, light on his feet, fast hands, good head movement, awkward, a top amateur and with a Lomachenko-type mindset. His style can look quite basic, but the way he executes it, with his reflexes, accuracy and footwork for a cruiserweight who moved to heavyweight, is unbelievable. You don't want to see him beaten by somebody who couldn't lace his boots in his prime.

I don't know whether Moses Itauma has the experience to beat him, but it would be dead interesting. I'd love to know what happens if today's version of Usyk faces a young fighter with Itauma's speed and movement. Usyk can't be at his physical best now because he's too old. I know what it's like. I was fit and strong at 36. I flattened Groves when I was a month away from my 37th birthday. Then I started training for another fight against Julio César Chávez Jr and I just didn't fancy it. I couldn't be arsed. I'd just made £10 million, had young children and a new baby, and I wanted to stay at home. The Groves fights had drained me mentally, and physically I was starting to feel it. Usyk should just f*ing retire.

I think he gets the job done. When you say knockout, I would lean more towards a technical knockout or a referee's stoppage. Hrgović is a tough man, so I do not necessarily see Itauma knocking him completely unconscious, but Hrgović is past his best and I think Itauma eventually stops him.

He's still learning and he's very inexperienced, but Lomachenko fought for a world title almost immediately because of his amateur background. Itauma is ranked high already. If the opportunity presents itself and he wants to take the gamble, then take it, although it would be a gamble against somebody experienced at that level. If he beats Hrgović in style, then yes, give him the world-title fight. Hrgović is a world-class fighter. If Itauma demolishes him, then let him have the opportunity. But if you're managing him, you'd still be careful because he remains very inexperienced.

I'd have been too big for Canelo. I had the height, reach, 12 round fitness and toughness. Anyone who says Canelo would knock me out, Froch didn't get knocked out. You've seen me walk into shots from Mikkel Kessler. You've seen Glen Johnson hit me with the same right hand that knocked out Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones Jr, and guess what? I was still standing there looking at him. If I got dropped, I got up to win. I was put down twice in my career and I got up both times to win. I'd have been too much for Canelo and too big for him.

Mike Tyson f*ing demolishes him. Joshua hasn't got the mindset to beat a prime Mike Tyson. Take Andy Ruiz, multiply him by ten and replace the fat with muscle, aggression, belief and that destructive mindset, and you've got Tyson. He was the ultimate fighting machine. Roy Jones Jr might have been more skilful, but Mike Tyson is probably my favourite fighter of all time. Based purely on his record, he wasn't necessarily the greatest heavyweight ever because he lost to Buster Douglas and was beaten later in his career. It was the way he got into the ring and let his shots go when he was under Cus D'Amato. It was unbelievable. After D'Amato died, Tyson gradually lost that edge, which was a shame. But prime Mike Tyson, what a man, what a machine, what a f*ing animal.

I do not understand what is happening with Mayweather or why he keeps looking for these contests. Perhaps he has spent too much money. I would not actively call for Tyson versus Mayweather, and I would never wake up thinking it was a fight I desperately wanted to see. It is stupid. But if somebody made it, I would probably watch because it would be such a freak show. You do not particularly want it, but curiosity would make it difficult to ignore.

Mapperley Golf Club is in the heart of the local area and is a beautiful, difficult 18-hole course. It is built on steep hills, and I used to run around there during my boxing career. I called one section the Hill of Death. It took me about a minute and ten seconds to sprint it, and I was always trying to break a minute. The club is heavily used and oversubscribed, particularly by older people, but the surrounding land is also used by families, children, cyclists and walkers. There are bridleways and public routes running around it, so it is not only for golfers. Removing a golf course has an impact on green space, wildlife and the wider community. There is other land available for development, so I do not believe they need to build hundreds of homes on the course itself. My son plays golf to a high level, while I play for enjoyment and have worked for years to get my handicap down to around 16. I wanted to raise awareness and use my profile to help protect the club.