Joshua-Wilder fight slips away again but Briton emerges as biggest winner

In another universe Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder might be sitting with their respective teams going over a good night’s work over breakfast in Saudi Arabia.

They might be congratulating themselves on stepping up at five weeks’ notice to successfully headline boxing’s ‘greatest ever card’ and secure their long-awaited mega-fight.

Joshua and Wilder were meant to face off in the ring moments after the Briton’s victory against Otto Wallin and announce a fight date in March. That was the plan.

But in boxing, even with the stacks of cash and the sport’s most bitter rivals playing nice, nothing is certain.

“I’m sure from a fan perspective, they’ll be more annoyed. For me, I always understand how this game is,” Joshua said. “You never know. This is elite level boxing.”

Joseph Parker made sure those best-laid plans were torn up, with a composed and punch-perfect performance. It was in truth an easy win for Parker, or at least he made it look so against 38-year-old Wilder.

In a card full of mismatches, Wilder v Parker represented the one true banana skin. And it proved to be, resulting in boxing’s revolutionary night ending on a somewhat sour note.

But after the biggest promoters and fighters in the world came together for the first time in decades, there is hope, a new age of co-operation could emerge.