Former world champion and Sky Sports expert analyst Johnny Nelson is crossing his fingers that everything comes together for a fall unification between WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (39-0, 38 KOs) and WBA, IBF, IBO champion Anthony Joshua (20-0, 20 KOs).

Both boxers are set for action in the month of March.

Wilder is up first, as he defense his title against voluntary challenger Luis Ortiz (28-0, 24 KOs) of Cuba - who is regarded as the toughest and most dangerous opponent for the WBC champ.

Joshua is back at the end of the month, when he attempts to capture another world title in a unification showdown with WBO world champion Joseph Parker (24-0, 18 KOs) at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.

Wilder plans to be ringside, as part of the Sky Sports broadcast team, for the Joshua-Parker clash - and plans to go face to face with the winner - who he assumes will be Joshua.

According to Nelson, Wilder must not only beat Ortiz, but beat the Cuban puncher impressively to make a unification with Joshua a "must happen" fight in 2018. 

If Wilder knocks Ortiz out, Nelson believes the hype for a Joshua unification will be sky high.

"If the AJ-Wilder fight is going to happen, it will go ahead no matter what. This is business and I know the fighters want to face each other," Nelson told Sky Sports. 

"But on Wilder's behalf, I think it will make them want the AJ fight even more if he knocks out Ortiz. Wilder's team will know he has got what it takes to get through anybody and Deontay will say 'I don't care, give me this fight next!'

If Wilder knocks out 'King Kong', everybody will be talking about this loud, unbeaten American who is wild by name, wild by nature. He has taken out the guy who everyone has avoided like the plague and that will sell him even more here in the UK and around the world."