His second selection came under far different circumstances. Joshua entered the rematch with Ruiz in December 2019 attempting to recover from the first loss of his professional career after surrendering his unified heavyweight titles six months earlier in one of boxing’s biggest upsets.

Rather than chasing an early knockout, Joshua boxed with discipline behind his jab and footwork, controlling the action over 12 rounds to reclaim the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles by unanimous decision.

Joshua’s choices are likely to divide opinion. Many regard his 11th-round stoppage of Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium in April 2017 as the defining victory of his career. After dropping Joshua heavily in the sixth round, Klitschko controlled much of the fight behind his jab and right hand as Joshua struggled to recover.

Rather than pressing aggressively for the stoppage, the former champion Wladimir boxed patiently before Joshua found a second wind and produced a dramatic turnaround in the 11th round.

The emotional significance for Joshua of beating a long-time rival in Whyte and rebuilding his career against Ruiz outweighs the prestige attached to defeating Klitschko.