Tyson Fury returns from the latest hiatus in a career characterised by his absence as much as his activity to face Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11th. Beneath the optics of a 6-6 giant with a natural scowl, Makhumdov is a marketable choice to assess how much an ageing Fury has left to offer.
And so we begin, again. Tyson Fury returns to the Heavyweight stage. His absence, beneath a veil of retirement so flimsy it may appear in the next Victoria's Secret catalogue, was never expected to last. The call of the spotlight, the ever present appetite for large cheques and the rumble of thunder in the distance - the dark clouds gathering for the real retirement that lays ahead - bring him back.
His long career has been punctuated by a series of these sabbaticals. Some relatively harmonious, some destructive, but all of them share the sense of merely building toward a grand return. The WWE type storytelling weaves through his boxing story. A plot peak was reached when he sat up like the Undertaker versus Deontay Wilder, but years have passed since then.
Back to back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk and the resultant loss of his unbeaten record required pause. Writers needed time to adapt the character arc, Fury needed to taste the future without boxing and the public needed to begin to forget those defeats.
That sense of the dramatic is undoubtedly informing his choice of comeback opponent on April 11th. Arslanbek Makhmudov is selected because of his James Bond henchman look as much as his record or ability. As Apollo Creed flicked through the pages of possible contenders at the beginning of Rocky he was looking for something he could sell. A hook. A story. Apollo settled on the "I-talian Stallion". Fury opts for the giant-Russian with the brooding frown.
36-year-old Makhmudov has been active which is positive for him. Although his performance versus Doncaster's Dave Allen encouraged paid-pundits to suggest he was a heavyweight contender it was littered with flaws. To this observer it merely confirmed him as vulnerable to pressure and ponderous of both foot and hand. With just 69 rounds behind him in an 8-year career he has little experience in managing longer fights.
These are weaknesses Fury will seek to capitalise on. Imposing himself and using a presumed advantage of speed and reflex to punish the plodding Russian. If Fury topples him - as Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello did in 4 and 8 rounds respectively - it will build faith, in the casual fan at least, that Fury is still that which he once was.
On balance, this is good matchmaking and with Fury in inevitable decline at the age of 38, rusty from absence and with tens of millions available versus Anthony Joshua, risk needs to be managed.
The image of Makhmudov taking two points deductions for excessive holding versus Dave Allen as recently as October, strongly suggests Fury will surely still have too much. Kabayel dropping the Russian, a genial and respectful professional beneath the dour demeanour, en-route to an early finish in 2024 is also difficult to forget.
For the less attentive, those realities will not be forming part of the promotion. Easy to anticipate Ivan Drago's name appearing far more than Kabayel, Vianello or Allen's do ahead of April 11th.
And remember, whether Rocky or Bond, henchmen never win at the end.
Netflix will stream the event worldwide.