From the moment Tony Bellew decided to interrupt his honeymoon to watch Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian wizard, through the screen of his mobile phone in a Mykonos bar, the writing was on the wall.
Back-to-back victories over David Haye, which brought with them widespread adulation as well as plenty of money, should have been enough to convince the 34-year-old to call time on a career that has already yielded British, Commonwealth, European and world titles.
But, once Usyk had beaten Murat Gassiev that night in July, unifying all four cruiserweight titles in the process, the name on his lips during the post-fight interview was Bellew's.
Those summer soundbites, in the champion's broken English, have been held up as the bait on which Bellew has bitten but, the truth is, the challenger from Liverpool is simply not ready to walk away from the sport yet. In fact, Bellew finds the idea of a civilian life, where nobody gets hurt, a worrying one.
“I'm scared of stopping to be honest,” says Bellew, immaculately dressed in a black designer suit.
“I couldn't ask for more. I've got a good life, I've got a beautiful wife, three beautiful kids, a fucking big lovely house, a couple of boss cars and a shit load of money.
“I'm happy and I'm just a tit to be risking it all. But I'm risking it all for a dream that only I can see.
“I know I've got to stop because otherwise I'll be divorced, there'll be an annulment, mate. She will do it, she really will. It has caused enough problems and headaches doing this one. But I'm going to win.
“She wasn't happy, but what can you do? Shit hit the fan for a few days. I think on that honeymoon when she saw me watching on the phone she knew.”
Bellew has joked in the past that the only person on the planet who scares him is his wife, Rachael, and he is deadly serious when he says any fights after 10 November at the Manchester Arena will result in divorce.
It has been suggested that victory over Usyk, which would result in him becoming Britain's first ever four-belt unified champion at any weight, would be the perfect way to walk away.
And, although it may seem like there would be nothing else to achieve, it isn't quite as simple as that for Bellew.
He said: “Without boxing I won't have that release. When I'm training I don't think about anything else. I just love fighting, I love fucking punching things. I like hurting people.
“It's not nice, it's horrible. I've got a horrible bastard side. I get to let it go every time I go in the gym.
“So although I hate the running and making weight and all that, which is a load of shite, I hate it. But when it comes to punching people and punching things and hurting them, I genuinely enjoy that.
“I'm scared of it stopping. I'll probably be in with a psychiatrist by the time I've finished. I could probably do with one.
“I'm quite open and honest, I'm round the fucking bend. I really am. But on November 10, I have to be round the bend just one more time.
“Fingers crossed on November 10 I chin him, I beat him, and I just decide that's enough.
“I was hoping David Haye would beat the fight out of me in the second fight. I was hoping I'd say 'he's knocked 10 tonnes out of me there but I've beaten him in the end'.
“But doing him so easy, it was easy to be honest, it has had the wrong effect on my because now I just want to beat everyone. I really do. I'm going to start on November 10.”
It has been suggested that Usyk's already impressive 15-fight ledger, and the four belts currently in his possession, has rendered him the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet right now. Indeed his gym-mate, close friend and compatriot Vasyl Lomachenko may be the only man with a solid argument against him.
Usyk, who claimed the 91kg gold at London 2012, has made no secret of his desire to one day step up to heavyweight and conquer another division altogether.
The brilliant southpaw was ringside on Saturday night as Anthony Joshua, the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion, retained his titles by ending the resistance of the previously-unstoppable Alexander Povetkin in the seventh round of their clash.
The visitor was dazzled by the atmosphere whipped up by the crowd of nearly 80,000 and equally impressed by Joshua. The 6ft 6in Londoner, however, remains his prime target and he says beating Bellew simply represents step one on the road to AJ.
Joshua is due back at the national stadium on 13 April, with Dillian Whyte the most likely opponent, but Usyk says it will not be long before he is ready to take on the world's No 1 boxing attraction.
“Wembley was crazy stuff,” Usyk said. “The songs, the noise... best fans ever. My hair was up all the way. And the fight was a thrilling fight for myself, I loved the way he finished it.
“One reason we have agreed to fight Bellew is to get to Joshua. It is exactly part of the strategy and why we have this co-operation with Eddie Hearn. He has Tony, he has Anthony, he has Dillian Whyte and a couple more nice heavyweights.
“It's the best way, the shortest – not the easiest – way to fight Anthony. I would need to have a fight at heavyweight first.
“I tell you why because this fight has to become the No 1 fight for the whole world. That is why I need to build up my profile at heavyweight.”
But Bellew, of course, has other ideas.
