The long-awaited heavyweight fight between Britons Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has moved a step closer after they won their respective warm-up fights – but not without plenty of drama.
Fury was first into the ring on Friday, stopping 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in seven rounds in Pattaya, Thailand.
Joshua’s night in Saudi Arabia was a different story.
Facing little-known Albanian Kristian Prenga, Joshua was expected to ease through his comeback. Instead, he was dropped after just 20 seconds and again in the opening round before producing a stunning turnaround to stop Prenga in the second.
With both men winning and contracts already agreed, the biggest fight in British boxing remains on course. Reports have suggested purses of around $100million (£75m) each, so there is every incentive to get the deal over the line.
But there are still a few hurdles to clear.
Many expected Fury to fly straight from Thailand to Saudi Arabia for a face-off inside the ring after a Joshua win.
Remarkably, the only time they have ever shared a ring was during a sparring session at Finchley Amateur Boxing Club in 2010.
After beating Wach, Fury insisted he would not travel to Jeddah and, despite rumours throughout Saturday, he kept his word. Reporters even briefly thought he had arrived when a Fury lookalike stepped out of a car outside the arena.
But Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn insisted a fight with Fury will happen next.
“It’s done. We signed a legally binding contract about three months ago,” Matchroom’s Hearn said.
Discover more from Keeping Them Honest
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.