Lockdown has put a halt to all sports, not least boxing.

Unlike footballers, rugby players and cricket stars who are paid a wage regardless of how much they play, fighters are only paid when they fight.

If both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are successful in their next bouts, then the mega fight the world wants to see should be upon us. Here’s a look at four potential venues…

Following the lead of The Independent’s Fantasy Matchmaker, MM match up two British heavyweight kings past and present: Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury.

The Manchester Arena has seen some terrific nights of boxing throughout the years, and been home to the likes of Ricky Hatton, Anthony Crolla and Scott Quigg all of whom have packed out the venue.

Manchester boxing is firmly back on the map after Tyson Fury’s emphatic seventh round victory over Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Tyson Fury said he’d go to London and beat Dereck Chisora in 2011. He said he’d go to Dusseldorf and beat Wladimir Klitschko in 2015. He said he’d go to Los Angeles and beat Deontay Wilder in 2018. And he said he’d go to Las Vegas and beat Wilder again in 2020.

Tyson Fury added the WBC Heavyweight crown to his collection and in doing so became the first boxer in history to win every major world title in the division at some stage of his career.

Whether it’s ice skating, gorging yourself on chocolate or sipping a pint and watching the boxing, there’s something for everyone this December in Manchester. So here’s our advent guide (spoiler alert – we may have spilled over into January, there’s THAT much going on…)

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton highlights his upbringing as the key factor that drove him to success both inside and outside the ring.

Tyson Fury’s cousin Hughie returns to the ring on Saturday night when he faces Chris Norrad at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse in his comeback bout, a fight on terrestrial television – Channel Five – and one in which he hopes can rebuild his previously-faltering boxing career.

A teenager who began boxing to stay off the streets and trained in Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club from the age of eight is now one of the world’s top four.