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In this week's Fight Talk we discuss whether former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua should step aside to allow Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk to battle for all of the belts, and react to news that Tommy Fury v Jake Paul has been called off. Plus we ask who is the best lightweight in world boxing and look again at Anthony Yarde's rematch win over Lyndon Arthur.
It's Fight Talk - your weekly fix of boxing news.
Should Joshua step aside for Fury-Usyk?
This time last year, Britain ruled the heavyweight division.
Tyson Fury was (and still is) WBC champion and Joshua held the WBO, WBA and IBF titles. An undisputed clash - the biggest fight this country has ever seen - was firmly on the cards.
But when Fury was ordered by an arbitration hearing to rematch American Deontay Wilder, Joshua instead set out to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Usyk.
Fury sensationally stopped Wilder but Joshua's points loss to Usyk completely changed the heavyweight landscape.
We may still get a historic undisputed fight for all four belts - but with only one Briton involved.
Saudi Arabia have expressed an interest in staging Fury-Usyk in 2022, but for that to happen Joshua - who has invoked a rematch clause with the Ukrainian - will need to step aside.
Why would he do that? Well, as his promoter Eddie Hearn suggests, there are potentially 40 million reasons.
Asked whether a seven-figure sum would be enough step-aside money, Hearn told Boxing King Media: "A million? If you want to get him not to fight Oleksandr Usyk you have to times that by 40..."
Fury meanwhile has said it makes business sense for Joshua to allow the champion to take on Usyk next and then face the winner.
"I'd prefer him to just let me fight Usyk because if Joshua goes in again and loses, which I think he will, that fight is dead in the water," Fury told Boxing Lowdown.
Frank Warren, Fury's co-promoter, has given Joshua until the end of this week to make a decision.
"If that doesn't happen then we will make a UK fight for Tyson in March and that could be Dillian Whyte, Joe Joyce or anyone else that Tyson decides upon," he told Queensbury Promotions YouTube channel.
Whyte's mandatory position with the WBC currently remains unclear but it seems the Londoner is the most likely opponent for Fury, while Olympic silver medallist Joyce - who is also with Queensbury - will be a straightforward fight to make.
So what should Joshua do?
Fury has options but it's Joshua who is calling the shots. The heavyweight division always gives us plenty to talk about.
'Good for boxing?' - reaction to reports Paul-Fury is off
The Jake Paul v Tommy Fury fight in Miami on 18 December has been called off, with Briton Fury struggling with a broken rib and bacterial chest infection.
A YouTuber-turned boxer versus a former Love Island contestant whose brother is a heavyweight champion - the fight had already split opinion.
News of the cancellation has reignited the 'is it good for boxing?' debate…
The two fighters had been at it on social media for months. The build-up to the fight was ill tempered and last month's press conference caused a stir in the boxing world.
With Paul joining on video call from America, Fury sat beside brother Tyson and dad John as the two camps traded words.
Many felt the foul-mouthed exchanges went too far, with Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn saying some particular words from John were "tasteless" and "disgusting".
Like it or not, Jake Paul - with almost 18 million followers on Instagram alone - is a big draw. Fury, meanwhile, was set to have brother Tyson in his corner.
Paul will instead rematch former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, who he beat in August, but you get the feeling this isn't the last we'll hear of the Fury v Paul saga.
Who is the best lightweight in world boxing?
Is there a better weight class in world boxing than the lightweight division?
After George Kambosos Jr stunned Teofimo Lopez in November, it was time for undefeated American Devin Haney to show his class.
On Saturday, WBC champion Haney put in the performance of his career to beat JoJo Diaz on points in Las Vegas.
Australia's WBA 'Super', WBO and IBF champion Kambosos Jr was in attendance and the two agreed to an undisputed clash, with promoter Hearn saying it could happen in May.
A Kambosos Jr v Haney clash could also bring an end to the WBC's controversial franchise belt.
When Vasiliy Lomachenko was still ruling the division in 2019, he was elevated to franchise champion by the governing body. Subsequently Haney - the interim champion - was elevated to full WBC status.
Lopez won the belt when he beat Lomachenko, and now Kambosos Jr holds the franchise title after his win.
Still with us? The number of governing bodies and world titles in boxing can already be difficult to grasp for casual and new fans of the sport, and the addition of the franchise belt only added to the confusion.
But Haney, should he beat Kambosos Jr, wants no part of the franchise title…
Garcia not impressed by Davis win
To add to the confusion, the WBA also has two champions in the lightweight division and on Saturday night in Los Angeles the 'regular' title holder Gervonta Davis defended his belt in a unanimous decision win over Isaac Cruz.
Davis - a three-weight world champion - said he injured his hand during the contest, but his performance did not impress rival and fellow American Ryan Garcia…
Meanwhile, Lomachenko - undoubtedly a future hall of famer - makes his return to the ring on Saturday against Richard Commey, while one defeat should not diminish Lopez Jr's credentials either.
Hopefully 2022 will be the year for us to finally find out who is king of the 135lb division.
Yarde back in world-title mix
On Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena in London, light-heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde tasted sweet revenge with an explosive fourth-round knockout win over fellow Briton Lyndon Arthur.
Yarde came out with a point to prove after losing on points to Arthur last year. The manner of his victory in the rematch impressed those in the sport…
Having being stopped by Russia's Sergey Kovalev in 2019, Yarde could again challenge for the WBO belt. Champion Joe Smith Jr will face Britain's Callum Smith Jr in New York on 15 January, with Yarde potentially facing the winner.
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