Anthony Joshua has admitted he hates Dillian Whyte - but wants him to beat Tyson Fury.
There is no love lost between Joshua and either of his heavyweight rivals but the former world champion has nailed his colours to Whyte's mast.
Joshua himself will fight for the unified heavyweight titles a few weeks after Fury and Whyte meet at Wembley Stadium.
And the winner of his fight against Oleksandr Usyk will likely be the next opponent for the winner of Fury's second world title defence.
“It’s a good defence against Dillian Whyte," Joshua told iFL TV while at the O2 Arena to support pal Lawrence Okolie last night.
"Dillian Whyte needs to come in and look at what Tyson Fury does and reacts to, and do the complete opposite.
“Work the body and be conditioned to go the distance, I hope Dillian trains hard and doesn’t underestimate Tyson.
“Because this is his first [world title] shot for Dillian, I think he’ll be hungry - I mean, it's his tenth time fighting for a title, and he can have a little hiccup along the way."
And Joshua, despite saying that he "hates" Whyte, will be supporting him all the way against Fury.
Joshua and Fury were supposed to meet last summer for the undisputed title, but the fight was cancelled when Fury was ordered to face Deontay Wilder for a third time.
And while the Brit was able to get past the hard-hitting Wilder after weathering a storm that included two knockdowns, Joshua was beaten in his mandatory defence against Usyk.
But while Joshua "wants to smash" his former opponent, he is hoping he can beat Fury.
“This is his first time fighting for a title," Joshua continued. "I’m rooting for Dillian, even though I hate him.
"I want to smash him one of these days. Go on, Dillian, go all the way."
Who do you think wins on April 23; Tyson Fury or Dillian Whyte? Let us know in the comments section below!
Fury and Whyte were once training partners, but they will meet in the ring as bitter rivals on April 23 after the London native was finally awarded his shot at the world heavyweight title.
The current champion is a heavy favourite, but there are many fans and experts, as well as Joshua, who believe Whyte can put the first loss on Fury's record.
Whyte has remained quiet in the build-up, while Fury has continued to trash talk on a near-daily basis.
"Oh my God, Dillian Whyte has signed his contract for $8million, what a surprise," Fury said on social media after the deal was made following tense negotiations.
"What an absolute idiot, should this even be a talking point? The man has signed for the biggest pay day he's ever going to get in his life.
"Oh my God, my head hurts from all the mind games Dillian Whyte has been playing on me.
"Oh my God, I don't know whether I'm coming or going; my training camp's a mess."
