Ian Hart: Fury v Joshua – it’s back on, but will it stay on? And it is as huge as some claim?

The back-story to this contest would give the ‘Who Shot JR?’ Dallas plot line of 1980 a run for its money, and I had to stand corrected when the date was announced last week, as I’d been convinced it wouldn’t happen. Boxing’s own ‘sliding doors’ has played its part in this scenario over the years, from Fury’s emergence in the late 00s, coupled with the arrival of Joshua at the 2012 London Olympics – the two heavyweights were always destined to meet in the squared circle.

The fight should have taken place in late 2019, but was effectively derailed when Joshua was knocked out in Madison Square Garden by replacement opponent Andy Ruiz Jnr, and many argue that Joshua has never been the same fighter since that 7th Round TKO. Fury had snatched all the belts and become Britain’s first unified World Heavyweight Champion after winning a unanimous points decision over Wladimir Klitschko in Düsseldorf in 2015. The Gypsy King unfortunately descended into the black hole of mental health issues, ballooning to nearly 30 stone and contemplating suicide before, having been stripped of all the titles he famously won in Germany, he made an amazing return to the both – thankfully – full health and the ring in 2018, finally regaining a version of the world title after three thrilling contests in America against then then current champion Deontay Wilder. Since 2019, we’ve had countless “will they, won’t they?” moments.

From initially contracts being signed to fight in this country, the focus then shifted to Madison Square Garden in November but the apparent digging in of the heels of both Joshua and his long time promoter Eddie Hearn has seen the venue return to the UK and to South Wales.

Both men insist the fight should take place in this country for the benefit of the UK fight fans, although cynics do point out that the very patriotic duo, Hearn and Joshua, reside in Monaco and Dubai respectively!

Hearn does deserve a lot of credit for his part in the whole process, however on the flip side he doesn’t do himself any favours getting into yet another high profile, but needless spat with influential media personality Simon Jordan.

Eddie’s Dad, Hall of Fame promoter Barry, said a few things about Jordan that weren’t complementary, Jordan countered, and that’s were it should have ended -both parties have been around long enough to know, if you’re going to throw you need to be able to catch as well.

But if Jordan is Hearn’s prawn cocktail in all this, it’s his main course, Zuffa Boxing’s Dana White, that could scupper the whole deal.

The bottom line is, owner of both the WWE and the UFC, White, alongside his partner Turki Alalshikh, is now firmly encamped in world boxing’s establishment , but for a number of reasons Hearn refuses to work with him.

And that could still be the deal breaker – in the days since the initial announcement talk that the fight is off again keeps popping up.

Maybe we will know more this week when a scheduled press conference is due to take place in London.

Like everyone else, I’ve wanted this fight to take place, but at the right time. For many it’s well past its sell-by date.

If it happens in Cardiff, despite it being two weeks before Christmas they will get the live gate and certainly with the involvement of streaming platform Netflix, the TV audience they expect.

Hearn also states it’s not only the richest but also the biggest fight in British boxing, and that I have to question.

The current levels of the the two fighters, the belts on the line and the overall significance in the sport at the time, are all relevant factors in the argument, and Fury vs AJ doesn’t come anywhere near the contests between Benn and Eubank in 1993, Ricky Hatton and Kostyra Tszyu in 2005 or Froch and Groves fighting in front of 80,000 at Wembley in 2014.

And if we do eventually get this fight, nothing will change my mind.