Eddie Hearn has played down talk of a potential fight between Carl Froch and Bernard Hopkins.

Froch is currently gearing up for his eagerly anticipated rematch with Mikkel Kessler on May 25, but in the build-up to the Wembley fight the oldest world champion in history has spoken of the possibility of an encounter with the Nottingham fighter.

Carl Froch
Froch & Kessler will meet in the ring again at the end of the month. (Reuters)

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hopkins said, "Froch is top of my wish list. I have great respect for him as a fighter. He is very exciting and our styles would make for a great fight."

"I will happily go over to the UK to make it happen but of course Carl will have to beat Kessler first. I am rooting for him to do it and I think he will win this time."

But Hearn cannot envisage a fight between Hopkins and Froch being as easy to book as the veteran American believes. The promoter points out the fact that both men operate at different weight levels as a key reason behind the unlikelihood of a battle between the two.

When asked about Hopkins' comments, Hearn told ESPN, "It's flattering. Hopkins understands the value of a fight with Froch, but I don't think Carl needs to fight a catch weight

"Nathan Cleverly has already called him out but Carl walks around just above 12st and he'd be at a big disadvantage.

"I wouldn't say it's a fight I wouldn't make but it's not one that immediately jumps out at me. We'll see how Carl gets on against Kessler and we'll see which big fights appeal."

Hopkins' decision to announce Froch at the top of his wish list caught the attention of Cleverly. The Welshman has his eye on a unification bout with the 48-year-old fighter later in the year, but believes Hopkins' statement suggests that he is not ready for a fight with WBO light heavyweight champion.

"He may be mentioning other names because he doesn't deep down feel he can fight with me," Clerverly told IBTimes UK. "My style is going to be difficult for Hopkins to deal with. But I'm hoping that he does take the fight and I really want to get it on."