Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally share a ring in Cardiff. They are older, battle-scarred and considerably less mysterious — which may be precisely why the fight is so intriguing now.
After more than a decade of talking, negotiating, waiting, hoping and wondering whether it would ever actually happen, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are finally going to fight.
It almost feels strange writing those words. Two British heavyweight superstars, two former world champions and two of the biggest names the sport has produced in a generation. They will meet on Friday 11th December, at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Strangely enough, this fight could actually be happening at the perfect time.
Ten years ago, boxing fans wanted to see Fury and Joshua when they had fewer miles on the clock, when both were unbeaten and both world champions.
But there was always a possibility that two fighters at the absolute peak of their powers could cancel each other out.
Now, things are different.
Both have lost. Both have been knocked down multiple times. Joshua has even been knocked out. Both have faced adversity, and both have lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk.
They have experienced the kind of moments that can change a fighter. Their history, and everything that has led them to this point, could make this fight even more exciting.
Heavyweight boxing is unpredictable at the best of times, but when two experienced heavyweights who know the other has weaknesses meet, anything can happen.
Joshua has always been an excellent finisher. When he hurts an opponent, he has the ability to close the show quickly.
Fury, incredibly, has never been stopped. He has hit the canvas several times throughout his career, most famously against Deontay Wilder, but every single time he has found a way back to his feet.
But he has never faced Joshua.
That makes one question particularly fascinating: what happens if Joshua really hurts Fury?
Then there is the other side of the equation.
Fury has built his reputation on his incredible boxing ability, movement and intelligence, but his performances against Wilder showed another side of his game. He can punch, he can brawl and he can stop his opponent.
Fury made his intentions clear at the first press conference, saying: “I’m going to blast him out.”
Joshua, meanwhile, knows exactly what kind of challenge awaits.
“I don’t expect anything else from this man,” he said.
The first press conference was surprisingly respectful, but there is plenty of time for the war of words to develop. Ultimately, none of that matters when the bell rings.
What makes this fight even bigger is what it could mean for the next generation.
Joshua spoke about “inspiring a generation”, and that is exactly what a night like this can do. There are young boxing fans who have grown up watching Joshua and Fury.
They have watched their victories, their defeats, their comebacks and their journeys. Now they get to watch them fight each other, and this fight could attract lots of new people to the sport.
No more waiting. No more wondering what might have happened.
Finally, it is happening.
