As for Joshua, well, he came pretty close to finding the banana skin that can always wind up in the ring when a rusty, perhaps badly faded fighter gets in there with a big puncher. And Kristian Prenga, whatever else he is, is a hefty puncher – as AJ found out in alarming fashion in the opening round last night. Decked in a flash by an uppercut that took Joshua’s legs from under him, the star fighter who was having his first bout back since that terrible car crash that took the lives of two of his good friends, was in trouble.

Later, a crashing right hand seemed to hurt Joshua more than the knockdown punch did. Later still, AJ was given a second count, this one after a less damaging knockdown. But the alarm bells were ringing in deafening fashion. To his credit, Joshua saved the show – and his career – in the very next round, this as his own vaunted power took Prenga out. AJ was smiling at the end, but plenty of his supporters wore worried, concerned looks; not least Eddie Hearn, who was candid enough to admit after the short, sizzling slugfest was in the books, that he thought it was “over.”

Maybe it is, and Joshua, 30-4(27) is nothing like the force he once was. Some pundits have gone as far as to suggest the 36 year old may be “shot to pieces.” If he is, if his chin has been permanently cracked – by those KO losses to Andy Ruiz and Daniel Dubois, his sheer self-belief never to be the same – can Joshua possibly beat Fury if/when they get it on?

37 year old Fury, 36-2-1(25) seems to have more left than does Joshua, his chin still good, his self-belief still strong, with Fury’s skills still there too. Maybe, as has been suggested, Joshua should wait a little longer before he goes in with Fury, with him perhaps taking another tune-up fight.

Then again, what if AJ did so and was beaten, as he may well have been oh, so close to being beaten last night? The Fury fight would be gone forever. If they DO fight next, say in November or December, who wins and how? Have you got Fury down as a pretty heavy favourite now, or do you still believe in AJ?

It’s a fight that should have happened some years ago, but Joshua Vs. Fury is still big. If it actually happens.