Last time Tyson Fury faced Wilder, it was a spectacular performance and it's hard to imagine a complete turn of events.

It was an extraordinary performance, from the dazzling ring dance to the dramatic stoppage.

Tyson Fury was carried in the ring shoulder high, wearing a crown and royal robes. He sang along to Patsy's Crazy.

We had heard him tell us that he would defeat Deontay Wilder, the heavyweight division's greatest knockout performer, all week, but no one believed he could win in the way he did.

Fury was surrounded by thousands of British and Irish fighter fans. He performed such a complete demolition job that it left little room for the trio fight in Las Vegas on Sunday morning.

This rematch, which took place in Los Angeles in December 2018, was nearly 20 months ago. It occurred just before the global sporting lockdown.

It is often forgotten how amazing Fury was that night in Sin City.

British fans hoped for an all-British fight between Fury or Anthony Joshua to win the undisputed crown at the height of the pandemic.

Joshua was widely believed to be the champion of the people if such a contest took place. He had overwhelming support.

But Fury, who had been to oblivion before his first flight with Wilder is now, without doubt the greatest heavyweight on Earth.

He could also become the most beloved heavyweight in the world if he can replicate that performance against Wilder, both inside and outside the ring.

Joshua was always slick, photogenic, and blue-chip. Fury, however, was the rough-edged traveller with scattergun mouth, the pantomime villain.

Fury has shaved off the most offensive parts of his tirades in recent years - his homophobic fire-and-brimstone rants.

This complex character is suffering from mental health problems after he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 with a stunning display of ring-craft.

Fury is unpredictable but can also be captivating, amusing, and lyrical. He is a natural performer.

Joshua, on the other hand, can appear over-produced or stilted.

Joshua was given a lot of schooling after his defeat at Tottenham by Oleksandr Uzyk a fortnight back. It suggested that Joshua underestimated his boxing skills and was too cautious when he should have been aiming for a stoppage.

Fury is capable of out-boxing any modern heavyweight and out-pointing them all.

Wilder has likely won 16 of his 19 rounds against him, but he was denied victory in the first fight. He had ducked, weaved, and showboated his path to superiority, until his final round knockdown and Lazarus-style ascent from the mat.

We had believed Fury would be too young to face Wilder in the WBC title fight. We were wrong.

We knew that he was a superior boxer before the second bout but didn't see him start to pile into American fighter Mark Breland from the first bell until the seventh. It was wrong again.

Wilder and Fury are now getting it on because a US judge ordered it. Just when it looked like Joshua-Fury would finally occur this summer.

The Usyk defeat means that we are less likely to see the final battle of Britain. It is a potential fight that has lost much of its prestige, intrigue and intrigue.

Joshua's circle of friends cannot believe that the Watford man can defeat Fury.

Wilder is a good puncher. He tested Fury's jaws and stomach when they first met in LA.

But surely, Britain can't lose two world heavyweight champions within a matter of weeks?

Watch the second Fury-Wilder fight again. It is hard to imagine how this upset could have been.

Fury was in complete control of the fight.

We can speculate about Fury's ring-walk plan and the kind of karaoke song he may sing in the ring, but we don't want to be too speculative.

The middle is as predictable as heavyweight boxing can get.