The long and rocky road to Fury and Usyk's super bout

For the first time in 24 years, there will be an undisputed heavyweight champion when the pair fight on Saturday

- ALEX PATTLE

It was the cut that led to the collapse and the conspiracies: a gash over Tyson Fury’s right eye, derailing his undisputed title fight with Oleksandr Usyk on two weeks’ notice and giving way to claims that the wound was self-inflicted.

These suggestions were, frankly, nonsensical. Fury looked as fit as he had ever been when he was sliced open by a stray elbow in sparring in February, finally ready to put an end to a drawn-out boxing saga but thwarted by severe misfortune. It was the latest bump on an already rocky road, and the only fear now is that there could be one last swerve.

Fury and Usyk, both unbeaten, are finally set to clash on Saturday, barring any late drama. But even then, judging in fights of this magnitude has robbed the sport of clear winners before. Fury, 35, and Usyk, 37, are contracted for a rematch regardless of what happens in Riyadh, so here’s hoping there is no deflating draw, no controversial scorecard, no asterisk on any achievement.

If none of the above tarnish Saturday’s main event, boxing will have its first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years – its first since Lennox Lewis lost that status in 2000, having secured it by beating Evander Holyfield one year earlier. How has it taken the best part of a quarter of a century to arrive at this point?