Waiting for the stars to align on an elite boxing match can be a tedious business, but British fight fans finally got the news they'd been waiting for yesterday (March 15), as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury agreed to face-off, not just once, but twice later this year.
The exact dates and locations are yet to be ironed out, though, most believe the first fight will be overseas, much to the disappointment of the home crowd. Middle East is the early favourite to play host to the first of their encounters.
Not only will this contest between the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Anthony Joshua and the WBC champion Tyson Fury be the biggest British boxing event in history, it will also have significant ramifications for the entire heavyweight division and fight fans the world over.
In what has to be seen as a real coup for the sport, one of Joshua vs Fury will go on to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion since Lennox Lewis in 2000.
The early betting odds for the two-bout showdown are coming in quickly. At present, the bookies have the Gypsy King ahead, though, Joshua's odds have shifted from +145 to +165 on some platforms.
Tyson Fury -190 (10/19)
Anthony Joshua +165 (33/20)
(Odds as of Mar.16)
It should come as little surprise to see Fury opening as the favourite for this contest with AJ.
Fury defeated highly-regarded American power-puncher Deontay Wilder via a seventh-round TKO early in 2020 to claim the WBC Title.
Joshua had to come back from a TKO defeat to Mexican opponent Andy Ruiz Jr to recapture his championship metal in their second contest late in 2019; AJ winning on points at the second time of asking.
Joshua also landed a spectacular-looking knockout on game Bulgarian opponent Kubrat Pulev last year, showing he still has plenty of power.
With neither Ruiz nor Pulev thought to be in the same league as Fury's last opponent Wilder, however, it's only natural that the Gypsy King would come in as the heavy betting favourite.
Regardless of the odds, fight fans across the globe will just be happy to learn that this much-anticipated fight is finally being green-lit.
With Fury being under the promotional banner of Frank Warren and Joshua operating under Eddie Hearn promotions, and then all of the rival bidding at network TV broadcasters and with all of this going against the backdrop of a global health pandemic, it had started to feel like perhaps another bout for the ages would escape fans.
But not this time; Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is happening, and we at GMS cannot wait!