ANTHONY JOSHUA’S hard-earned bon voyage to boxing being snatched away by Tyson Fury’s latest retirement feels like the most unsatisfying ending to a glorious sporting story.
Especially when it seemed set in stone that Joshua and Fury would finally meet, over two stupendously-rich fights in Riyadh and London, and leave nobody in any doubt who the best Brit giant is since Lennox Lewis.
With his exploits with the gloves on - his 2011 World Championships silver in Baku, London 2012 gold and two title reigns - he has got us jobs, earned us pay rises, helped us get mortgages and raise our children.
It’s why most of us, like his legions of fans around the world, will feel gutted if the overdue Fury fight - after years of Gypsy-King torment and the savage September Dubois knockout - doesn’t materialise.
For Team Fury, robbing AJ of that one huge final fight - one that made him break with protocol and admit publicly how much he needs it - will be a stroke of evil genius from the mind-games master.
