As far as boxing aficionados are concerned, the fight game is on the canvas right now and taking a count. You could sell advertising on the soles of its boots. The big bouts, and big purses, are in Saudi Arabia, surrounded by allegations of sportswashing. Bona fide champions with a wardrobe of belts sign up for cakewalks against influencers. Anthony Joshua, one of the best fighters this country has produced in recent years, strolled to a win in one such mismatch before his terrible car crash in Nigeria. At the time of writing, it’s unclear when or if Joshua will fight again. Donald McRae, a veteran observer of the noble art, has written of his disillusionment with it in his latest book, The Last Bell: Life, Death and Boxing (2025).

Sports fans are always ruing a lost golden age. A J Liebling’s terrific account of the hurting game, The Sweet Science: Boxing and Boxiana – A Ringside View (1956; Penguin Classics 2018), first published seventy years ago, includes laments for its decline from sluggers who were long in the tooth