Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have put the United Kingdom at the forefront of heavyweight boxing for the past decade, with both men involved in some of the biggest nights the sport has ever had.
Who can forget Fury returning from a three-year layoff before knocking out Deontay Wilder twice? Or how about Joshua getting up off the canvas to stop Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium?
But nothing – other than those memories – lasts forever. Joshua was dominated by Daniel Dubois in September at the same venue he stopped Klitschko on that miraculous April night in 2017, and his promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted the 35-year-old is coming towards the end of his glittering career.
Fury will try to reclaim his titles from Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in a fight that should determine the best heavyweight of this era. But Fury is now 36 and Usyk will be 38 next month.
The pair delivered a thrilling fight the first time around in May, with Usyk emerging victorious on points, but it is fair to ask how many more times they can realistically go to the well for one last big performance.
It would not be a surprise to see either man or potentially even both walk away after Saturday’s fight, leaving fans wondering who the next generation of elite heavyweights will be. They may well get their answer if they tune in to watch two intriguing match-ups on the undercard.
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are both coming towards the end their glittering careers
Moses Itauma (pictured) is still only 19 but is already making waves in his home country
Fellow UK talent Johnny Fisher (pictured) is also unbeaten and looks to be an exciting prospect
Teenage sensation Moses Itauma is set to face Australia’s Demsey McKean, while Johnny Fisher, 25, will take on fellow Brit Dave Allen.
Itauma and Fisher are undefeated and have been making waves in the UK. Now, on the biggest stage of all, they will get the chance to prove they are the future of the heavyweight division.
Itauma has already fought on two Fury undercards in Saudi Arabia, and has looked the real deal on both occasions. But McKean, who has just one loss on his record and was once considered as an opponent for Joshua, will be a step up in class.
Itauma was born in Slovakia and had to deal with racism in his early years before moving to the UK to live in Kent.
He grew up in poverty, but found his home in the boxing gym. It quickly became apparent that he had talent in abundance, despite throwing up in his first training sessions.
Having turned professional just one month after his 18th birthday, Itauma has already racked up 10 wins, with eight coming inside the distance.
His last outing was the most impressive of the lot as he demolished former world title challenger Mariusz Wach in just two rounds.
Itauma has previously spoken about breaking Mike Tyson’s record of being the youngest heavyweight champion in history. That ambitious goal looks out of reach unless he can grab a belt in the next four months, but a win over McKean would put him in the mix for some big fights in 2025. And one potential option could be a domestic showdown with Fisher if he can get past Allen on Saturday night.
Itauma faces the experienced Demsey McKean on Saturday, and a win would be a statement
Fisher has to get past the durable Dave Allen (pictured) to set up a big 2025 for himself
Fisher may be six years older than Itauma, but his career has progressed more steadily due to his limited amateur background.
He has already built a large following of fans, though, while his dad has become a social media phenomenon with his ‘Bosh!’ videos.
Fisher and his dad don’t seem to take themselves too seriously away from the ring, but it’s a different matter when it comes to boxing.
Known as ‘The Romford Bull’, Fisher has stopped 11 of his 12 opponents and has gathered a reputation for being a devastating puncher. Just ask Alen Babic, who lasted less than a round when he took on Fisher in July.
If Fisher can do a similar job on the usually durable Allen this weekend it would be a major statement.
Allen has been in the ring with Dillian Whyte, as well as Olympic medalists David Price, Tony Yoka and Frazer Clarke, and has not been a pushover despite losing all of those fights.
He fancies his chances against the somewhat untested Fisher, but the momentum is with the man from Essex as he eyes arguably his biggest win to date.
How the heavyweight landscape will look after this weekend is unclear. A win for Usyk would cement his status as the best heavyweight on the planet. He would have nothing more to prove and has even teased a possible return to cruiserweight.
Daniel Dubois has proved he’s the real deal after beating Joshua at Wembley earlier this year
Britain needs new heavyweights to take over from Fury, and Itauma and Fisher could soon be joining Dubois at the top table
Meanwhile, a Fury victory could set up a trilogy bout or a meeting with Joshua before both men likely sail off into the sunset.
What is more certain is that the end is nigh for this era of heavyweight boxing.
Dubois announced himself as a major player in boxing’s blue-riband division by beating Joshua, but there may have been some concerns over a lack of worthy challengers, with the likes of Whyte and Derek Chisora also on the way out.
Fortunately, Itauma and Fisher look ready to step up to the plate, and they can show they are superstars in the making with convincing wins on Saturday night.
HOW TO WATCH: Click to register and watch Usyk vs. Fury 2 on DAZN here
