Lennox Lewis has urged Anthony Joshua to capitalise on the support of the British public by fulfilling his undoubted potential as a fighter.
The promising heavyweight, 27, makes the latest defence of his IBF title and hopes to win the WBA belt last held by Tyson Fury when he fights Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night.
A 90,000-strong crowd, a post-war record for a fight in the United Kingdom, is expected to be present in the latest demonstration of his popularity, and also of the significance of their match-up.
Joshua's reputation has become increasingly high-profile since he won Olympic gold at London 2012, and he is the favourite to beat the 41-year-old Klitschko and then reign as the world's leading heavyweight.
Lewis, 51, was also an Olympic champion, and after turning professional dominated the division throughout his peak. However, because of his Canadian accent and the fact he represented Canada when he won gold, he was also rarely widely adored in Britain.
It is his rival Frank Bruno, an inferior fighter to Lewis, who has long been held in greater affection; David Haye was also at one point more popular despite never being the best heavyweight in the world.
The controversial Fury defeated Klitschko to establish himself as the division's leading fighter, but has not fought since while he battles depression, and it is Joshua who Lewis believes can prove the best of both.
"The fact that the British people are really behind Anthony Joshua is great," Lewis told Press Association Sport. "It's great for him. He needs that.
"He's got a whole country behind him, and it's for him to really enhance his ability, and try and get better and better.
"It's important, because he's got the whole of the British Empire looking at him, and looking at him as being the leader: he's the one that's going to get all the belts out there, and he's the one who represents them. And he represents them well, too.
"A big, strong, powerful guy, Olympic champion, world champion, soon to be much more than that.
"For me, I never really had that."
Lewis' popularity grew the longer he succeeded. His final fight was a victory over Klitschko's older brother Vitali in 2003, but he believes it is crucial Joshua is already so admired and that his focus only needs to be on what happens in the ring.
"I actually liked fighting, and changing people's view of me, I liked that about it," he added. "If I went to fight in America, for instance, I'd walk into an arena, and people would be booing me.
"I'd be like 'Yeah? You're booing me? Alright, don't worry, I'll beat up your guy'. So I went in there, beat up their guy, and usually people clapped or cheered me after, which was a better feeling."
Source: PA
