Though reports claim that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury have signed a contract to face one another in a heavyweight blockbuster clash this year, doubts remain over when the first meeting between the two champions will actually take place.
Summer 2021 was always the plan, and Eddie Hearn has frequently named late May, early June as the hoped timeframe. However that is looking increasingly unlikely as it draws closer.
On the latest episode of "Jabs" on DAZN, Chris Mannix and former WBC light-middleweight champion Sergio Mora debated the possibility that Fury, who hasn't stepped between the ropes since ending the unbeaten record of Deontay Wilder in February 2020, taking on a 'stay-busy' opponent to ensure he isn't too rusty for the Joshua bout.
Mora, wary of the risks of the sport as an ex-fighter, wasn't on board with the idea: "No. Hell no. We wanna go straight into this big megafight. This fight is bigger than boxing, man, after the 2020 we had.
"This is the biggest fight in UK history, it’ll be for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world, and we need this fight. No in-between fight."
Mannix said: "I get a little bit concerned when I hear about how far they may push this fight back. Getting a contract signed is great but the biggest obstacle is getting the right site. They need places like the Middle East, the UK and the US that will offer a site fee around 100 million. And nobody will do that until they get the pandemic under control.
"Across the world, it is starting to come under better control. But it might be months before those places are able to make their most substantive offer.
"And if you push this fight into September and October, maybe even November you’re talking about a long time for Tyson Fury to be out of the ring. And he said this past weekend that he’s stopped training until there’s something official. I don’t think this counts as official because there is no date and no venue.
"I don’t think Tyson Fury should take on any type of contender. But if you recall the fights he took before Deontay Wilder — guys like Sefer Seferi — that might be the type of opponent I’d be OK with Fury getting in with, just to shake off some rust."
Mora replied: "I don’t like it. This fight is bigger than boxing and even if September is a long way away, they won’t get drained in camp. They can stay sharp in the gym and with sparring partners, and stay hungry that way.
"I can see it being fine. Both of them are gonna be on the same page. I’m totally fine with it. I just don’t want this guy from nowhere beating either of these guys. Hopefully things are back to normal soon and it will be a hell of a fight."
Mannix, meanwhile, finished with a very good point: "I just don’t want to hear the loser say: ‘Well, I was off for a long time’."
Watch the entire Mar. 17 episode of "Jabs", where Mannix and Mora also discuss "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler and how to fix the judging problem in the sport, with a DAZN subscription.