SO Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua seem further apart than ever.
Fury and Joshua will now be fighting for the world heavyweight title. This was a fight that seemed so close this summer, but is now unlikely.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua seem further apart than ever
We do know that it would have ended with Gypsy King Fury winning the entire battle.
Many fight fans knew that this was true after Fury's demolishment of Deontay wilder in Las Vegas in February 2013.
After Joshua's defeat on Saturday night by Oleksandr Uzyk, it is clear that there can be no serious debate.
Fury has shown that he is capable of winning world titles in completely different ways. He first out-boxed Wladimir Klitschko, a great technician from Ukraine, to end his nine-year-old dominance in the division in 2015. Then he overpowered Wilder, an explosive puncher.
Joshua, on the other hand, has shown that he can win world titles in completely different ways.
In 2019, Andy Ruiz Jr shocked the world by submitting Andy Ruiz Jr to defeat, and Usyk in Tottenham was able to outfox him.
Joshua could be defeated by a highly skilled smaller heavyweight like Usyk. But what about Fury, a WBC champion?
The long-term contract AJ and Eddie Hearn signed last week may not be as lucrative or as long as they had hoped.
Joshua, to his credit, was able to face the media at 1.30am yesterday morning. This came just a few hours after he surrendered his WBA, IBF, and WBO belts for an Usyk masterclass.
The 31-year-old Brit was brave and he did not hide his anger. He is determined that he will not be sulk and that he will use the lessons he has learned from school to immediately trigger a clause with Usyk that will allow him to take on the Ukrainian once again in 2022.
Joshua doesn't dodge fights, as Hearn keeps reminding us.
The promoter wasn't just babbling about it when he stated that the Ukrainian opponent was dangerous and would be beaten by other champions during the build up to the Usyk fight.
Although any heavyweight underdog can have a chance of winning a knockout, it is hard to imagine Joshua outboxing Usyk.
Joshua was unconvinced when he was asked about his efforts to unite the division and rule it -- described as "The Road To Undisputed".
He stated: "The road to undisputed." . . It's marketing, right?
"When I pulled up at the stadium, it reminded me that it was a huge circus -- it is the greatest show on Earth."
But "The road to undisputed" wasn't just a marketing slogan.
Since Joshua won Olympic gold in 2012, he had set his sights on it since he became a professional.
Yes, millions of people would tune in to Fury v Joshua even if there were no belts.
However, much of the intrigue will end and prestige will disappear.
It is unlikely that Joshua will defeat Usyk in the rematch. There was very little evidence to support that possibility Saturday.
Many people have pointed out Joshua's Saturday ringwalk on Saturday, which was a breezy walk in the breeze, as an example of complacency and arrogance.
He was not a man who took victory for granted.
He was focused and intense in his pre-fight camp. Even during the build up, he talked about his desire to get back in the gym immediately and his devotion to his art.
Joshua spoke of Usyk's defeat as an education and blessing.
Hearn and Rob McCracken both insist that their man will improve next time, but it sounds like wishful thinking.
Although Ruiz's defeat was a loss to an inferior fighter who was lucky and then failed to properly prepare for the rematch, Joshua's chances against Usyk next time cannot be denied.
Joshua will enter the rematch as the clear underdog for the first time in the professional career.
To win those belts back, he will have to perform to his best.
Fury finishes his trilogy in Las Vegas with Wilder on Saturday, but Fury knows his greatest potential payday -- the Joshua fight -- might never come to fruition.
It would be a far more lucrative fight than Fury against Usyk. It is the fight that the world wants to see.
