THE THREE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT

THIS time last year Anthony Joshua outboxed Andy Ruiz Jnr to restore order to the heavyweight division, though was, like everyone else, oblivious to the fact real disorder lurked just around the corner and could not be controlled by a jab. Back then it was the one blow he couldn’t see coming; the one opponent for which he wasn’t prepared.

Then again, one could argue the attitude of Joshua and the two other top heavyweights of last year – Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder – perfectly encapsulated the arrogance, naivety and sense of entitlement with which we were all wandering through life in 2019. Heads high and whistling down the road, the trio, having already made millions and positioned themselves to make more, believed they had the game of life sussed and that not a thing could hurt, derail or stop them. They thought they had all the time in the world and the world in the palm of their hand. They could say what they wanted, do what they wanted, and the boxing world would listen, understand, wait, and adjust their expectations accordingly. They were, as a team, stringing