Received wisdom has it that Anthony Joshua’s emergence and success has been a boon for boxing; key in its resurgence as a mass spectator sport, and inspiring an upsurge in participation at grassroots level.

Icon, role model, supreme athlete and advertisers’ dream rolled into one, this is Joshua (more affectionately known as AJ), a young man from the hard streets of Watford who’s risen to the heights of superstardom and fame, proving that anyone can do it with a positive mental attitude, dedication, discipline and sense of purpose.

This of course is bunkum, the kind of tripe served up in service to a free market status quo that operates according to the ethos of the betting shop rather than the library.