As the fractured heavyweight division still tries to find one true champion, Tyson, once dubbed “the baddest man on the planet”, has pushed the claims of Joshua, dishing out some serious “man love”.

Tyson likes the look and demeanour of Joshua and also the skills of the WBO, WBA and IBF champion who is preparing to face Andy Ruiz Jnr in New York on June 1.

“Hey, I really like him,” Tyson said on his Hotboxin’ podcast.

“He’s really clean, he really looks clean, he’s a clean guy, he’s a clean fighter, he’s a good puncher.

“You just wish the best for him.”

Tyson, the youngest heavyweight champion at 20 w hen he won the WBC belt in 1986, was a ruthless fighter with fearsome power and aggression. But he was cautious when asked if, at his prime, he might have been able to beat Joshua.

“I don’t know. My ego says, ‘nobody would beat you’,” Tyson said.

“But you look at him and … he just looks beautiful!

“He just looks like a fighter, you know? He looks like he was born to do what he has to do.

“He needs more experience of course, but that will come in life.”

Joshua rarely lowers himself to trash talk and backs up any claims with performance – he is unbeaten over 22 fights with 21 knockouts, his only points decision coming against New Zealander Joseph Parker last year.

Joshua contrasts with WBC champion Deontay Wilder, the outspoken American who fights Dominic Breazeale in New York on Sunday.

A unifying fight between Joshua and Wilder remains the division’s elusive goal.