Around this time in 2021 we were due to find out who was the top man in the heavyweight division.
We were told Tyson Fury against Anthony Joshua was incoming and there would not just be not just one fight but a rematch, too, and all the belts would be unified.
If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
It was.
That huge contest was carved in half by a judge at arbitration and we were due to get Fury in a trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder and Joshua then had to face his mandatory Oleksandr Usyk.
The journey to undisputed suddenly featured two semi-finals instead of one straight shootout.
Fury-Wilder III was due to take place today [July 24], Joshua-Usyk – announced this week – will take place at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium on September 25.
However, after a Covid outbreak in the Fury camp the third fight with Wilder was shunted back to October 9 in Las Vegas.
Provided Joshua-Uysk and Fury-Wilder both take place, and then negotiations can get Fury and Joshua in the ring in 2022, the wait for unification might not be too long.
That’s if Fury and Joshua both win, but that will be of no consolation to the likes of Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce – who fights Carlos Takam and starts as a strong favourite today.
Their wait is long and will only get longer, particularly if Fury-Joshua happens and there’s a rematch. That would realistically wipe out 2022 for the belts, so Whyte, who has already famously waited years for a chance would have to wait much longer.
And the upcoming heavyweights, like Filip Hrgovic, Charles Martin, Andy Ruiz and just about anyone else near the top of the ratings must decide whether they want competitive outings or coast through several months of meaningless bouts or even remain inactive as they look to preserve their high ratings.
It’s one of the first times in modern history when there haven’t been enough belts to go round, but make no mistake, this is not a plea for more titles.
Usyk gets his shot at Joshua by virtue of being the first mandatory in the queue for AJ’s belts. The WBO have him No. 1 in their ratings and should he lose and Joyce wins, Joyce would like assume that position but then the 35-year-old could surely expect a long wait.
Of course, we are talking about eventual scenarios but either way the true picture at heavyweight will not be resolved for months and months and some fighters may miss out on some prime years while they wait.
Still, there are fights to be sold and Joshua said this week of his date with Usyk: “We are two Olympic gold medallists [both London 2012] who have fought our way to the top and never avoided challenges. The venue is exceptional, the atmosphere will be electric, I'm honoured to be the first person to fight in such an awe-inspiring venue. The stage is set and I am ready to handle business.”
Meanwhile, Fury and Wilder have had to playing a waiting game themselves. First arbitration, now Covid.
They had been due to have a third fight last summer but that vanished into the ether with people questioning whether Fury needed it and if Wilder wanted it. There rematch was 18 months ago and now they must wait another 11 weeks.
“I couldn't have been more ready for next Saturday,” Fury told the Daily Mail’s Jeff Powell this week, suspecting that he caught Covid from a sparring partner outside his Las Vegas bubble. “After that I'd have been just as ready to knock out Anthony Joshua in December,” he added.
He is clearly keen that there will be no further delays. Fury knows the sport well and knows he has thrived when he’s been active. He didn’t want this delay and he hadn’t wanted to wait this long.
There had been moves to get him out last Christmas but they came to nothing. He doesn’t want to wait any longer.
“We will strictly control the access for sparring partners and increase testing,” he told Powell of the lead up to the new October 9 date. “No masseur. No fitness coach. No dietician. Even my two brothers will have to wait to join me until fight week here in Vegas. I've suffered enough frustration on this roller-coaster. I don't need more, any more than I would have risked anyone else's health by coming early out of quarantine.”
Joyce might have a long wait, too, although he said he’s not looking beyond the Frenchman he meets this weekend.
“I've got a big test in Takam so I won't look too far ahead because this is a tough fight,” stated Joyce. “I need to beat Takam up to make a statement so I can go on to win a world title. Takam gives it his all and he's a hard fight. It might take a few rounds, it might take all the rounds, but I will get the job done then cruise on to a world title.”
Perhaps there will be a world title in the “Juggernaut’s” future but he might have to be prepared for a long cruise because the heavyweight queue is backing up, seemingly with no chance to jump it.