For AJ’s sake, I really hope to be proved wrong again

The problem with writing things down is that they are, well, written down.

Last September, in Metro Sport, I backed Anthony Joshua to beat Oleksandr Usyk, only for the challenger to out-box him, out-class him and out-punch him, on his way to an incontrovertible unanimous decision.

I went back to said article this week, peeking at it through cracks in my fingers, but it was not as cringeworthy as I feared.

The way I said Usyk could win – taking it all the way, getting stronger in the later rounds – was about right, although I didn’t have Joshua holding on for dear life at the final bell.

My last line was, ‘This is not David versus Goliath. Not by any stretch of the imagination’.

Fast forward to today, and I still have not quite decided who I am going to back come the end of this second bite at the cherry. So, let’s talk it out. Champion first. Always champion first.

Nobody could have predicted the 11 months that have befallen Usyk since his greatest victory. Glory in the ring has taken a backseat to Glory to Ukraine, as he returned home and signed up to the Kyiv Territorial Defence.

The messages that will inspire him as he gathers his thoughts in that Jeddah changing room will not be from former boxing greats or celebrities, but from friends on the frontline.

He fights for them, and that kind of strength is immeasurable.

Despite everything, he has had an intense training camp, with Derek Chisora claiming he swims for five hours at a time. After the fight, he should be tested for gills.

The big story is that Usyk is heavier than ever. Last time out there were 19lbs between them. This time, you will be lucky if it’s more than a KFC bargain bucket.

That first win against Joshua came in only his third ever heavyweight bout, after