Monday 31 October 2016 11:26, UK
Lennox Lewis believes Anthony Joshua's lack of experience would count against him if he was to step in the ring with Wladimir Klitschko.
The pair were in discussions to fight on December 10 but talks stalled due to uncertainty over whether the WBA title would be on the line and Klitschko (64-4-53KO) sustaining a minor calf injury.
Joshua (17-0-17KO) will instead press ahead with a defence of his IBF world title on that same date in Manchester against an as yet unconfirmed opponent, before potentially taking on Klitschko in the spring of next year.
If the fight does go ahead it will represent a shot at redemption for Klitschko after a frustrating year in which he lost his IBF, WBO and WBA titles to Tyson Fury before seeing two rematches cancelled.
Klitschko will turn 41 in March but Lewis - who honed his skills under the same Hall of Fame trainer as the Ukrainian in Emanuel Steward - believes the veteran still has the edge over Joshua.
When asked who he believes would win, Lewis told Sky Sports News HQ: "I would have to say Wladimir, because of the experience.
"We have seen a lot of Anthony Joshua's fights but he has knocked out everybody, so what has he learned? Where is the experience there?
"You know Wladimir is almost up to 70 fights so you have got the experience and the old, and you have got the new and the strong. So which one are you going to take?
"I will take experience but only slightly. When you get experience, you have to look at Wladimir's body. Can Wladimir's body take more going into the ring and more fights?
"I don't know where he is on that level. We are going to have to see."
