Few fighters capture the romance and the legend of boxing like the heavyweights. The size, the power, the roar; there's something that transcends boundaries about them.
Ali. Foreman. Frazier. Tyson. Holyfield. Lewis. Klitschko - both of them. These are names synonymous with sporting success, with the iconography of the ring.
Anthony Joshua has, despite differing opinion, long since likely crossed the threshold too. A two-time world champion, bidding for a third reign this weekend.
Yet here, the story diverges. Few men have become three-time kings of the world, especially at heavyweight. Most claimed the honour as they approached their twilight years.
But for Joshua, who turns 35 next month, there is mileage still in the tank. He has risen from consecutive defeats against Oleksandr Usyk, like Lazarus, to come again.
Daniel Dubois is the next man in his sights. The venue? Wembley Stadium with a postwar record crowd. The prize? The IBF heavyweight title he won all those years ago.
For Eddie Hearn, there is no reason to assume the end is near. Victory would lay a path to an undisputed bout with Usyk - or even Tyson Fury, the white whale clash of his career.
"If you actually look at miles on the clock for Anthony Joshua, he hasn't been in many wars," he noted at Joshua's public workout on DAZN this week.
"You go back to the likes of Evander Holyfield and all these great heavyweights, they were in serious wars.
"Yes, he got rocked against [Andy] Ruiz. The Usyk fight, he took a bit of a pummelling. [But] I think he's quite fresh as a heavyweight.
"He's always lived a life outside of the ring, outside of training camps. Nothing exists other than healthy living. He's in the prime of his life."
Dubois will be no pushover, a man who himself has rallied from a loss to Usyk with consecutive knockouts. But despite an all-British affair, it is the challenger who draws the eyes.
If another quick result can be earned, it preserves the body, boosts the morale, maintains that unshakeable faith in a path towards destiny for Hearn.
"Can you put a timeframe on it?" he wonders. "The plan is defeat Daniel Dubois and fight for the undisputed championship, hopefully against Tyson Fury.
"Do it twice next year, win the undisputed championship and then we're all off for a la-di-dah on the beach.
"I'm more confident than ever around an AJ fight because he knows exactly where he is and what he's got to do.
"I look at him now as a veteran of the sport. He's fought all-stars, he's fought under all occasions.
"You've got Dubois trying to slay the king. It's all very well talking it. Having that presence around you means a lot in this sport."
There is still an aura around Joshua, a shine that has been rebuffed before. Victory this Saturday will only enhance the lustre of a man who has conquered the world.
But unlike those other heavyweights who he is destined to join, the time still remains for him to build an even greater legacy - and with it, a place beyond reproach in history.
More on AJ v Dubois
- Joshua vs. Dubois fight guide
- Fight week schedule
- AJ-Dubios fight week live blog
- AJ vs. Daniel Dubois: Behind-the-scenes news and gossip
- Joshua vs. Dubois undercard
- Joshua vs. Dubois: How to watch and pay-per-view prices
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