Retired boxers turned pundits Carl Froch & Matthew Macklin back WBC champion Tyson Fury as the best heavyweight in the world - ahead of unified IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO champion Anthony Joshua.

Last month, Fury had another career defining win with a dominant seven round stoppage of Deontay Wilder in their highly anticipated rematch. The win catapulted Fury to the top, as did his dominant win over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

2019 was a big of mixed tricks for Joshua. He was dropped four times and stopped by Andy Ruiz in June of that year, but then came back in the December rematch to dominate Ruiz for a twelve round decision.

Now the biggest fight in the heavyweight division, arguably, is a unification between Joshua and Fury.

Based on their recent run, Fury would likely be a solid betting favorite to defeat Joshua.

"Tyson Fury is just in front of Anthony Joshua. Part of my reasoning for this is because he was lineal champion, beating Wladimir Klitschko a few years ago to become champion and never lost the titles in the ring," Froch told Sky Sports.

"He came back when everybody thought he couldn't beat Wilder and I thought he won the first fight, even though he got dropped. The rematch was so one-sided, so conclusive, and I just think you've got to put him at No 1, above AJ.

"It's him and AJ, one and two, and you think to yourself, logically who wins between AJ and Fury? I think most people, the general consensus would be that Fury wins that one, but the only way to end any debate would be to see them share the ring."

Macklin agrees with Froch, and broke down his reasoning for selecting Fury as the top man of the heavyweight division.

"I've picked Fury as number one for a few reasons. Firstly, going back a few years now but he's 'the man who beat the man' in Wladimir Klitschko - he's the lineal champion," Macklin said.

"He then came back after a two-and-a-half year lay off with only two 'glorified sparring sessions' under his belt to beat Deontay Wilder, but for it to be declared a draw. And then going into their last fight in February, a lot of people were picking Wilder after his devastating knockouts of Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz, and Fury just completely dismantled him - it was like a man and boy."