Carl Froch has told David Haye to "forget Anthony Joshua and the rest" following his defeat at the hands of Tony Bellew on Saturday.
A remarkable fight at London's O2 Arena saw Haye battle on through injury from the sixth round until his corner finally threw in the towel after he had been knocked out of the ring in the 11th round.
Froch, a four-time super-middleweight world champion, told Sky Sports News: "Whether it's an injury or not, David Haye can forget Anthony Joshua and the rest now.
"He has been calling out AJ and had he blown Tony Bellew away in a couple of rounds then he would have been right in the mix.
"But whether it was his age catching up on him or a serious injury, it doesn't really make a difference. David Haye is out of the equation when it comes to Joshua's possible opponents."
The defeat was only Haye's third across a 31-fight career.