Tyson Fury was supposed to be just another routine mandatory defence for Wladimir Klitschko on Nov. 28, 2015, in Dusseldorf.
After all, Klitschko was closing in on a decade as world heavyweight champion and in the other corner was a young British upstart known to most fans for punching himself in the face earlier in his career.
Fury had also been put down by fighters unfit to ride Klitschko's coattails and although he had risen each time to win to remain unbeaten, the bookmakers were certain he was in way over his head.
What Fury did have was the element of surprise, which he used to disarm Klitschko, a self-confessed control freak, memorably turning up to one press conference by taunting his rival dressed as Batman.
The mind games even extended to the day of the fight, with Fury getting his way after threatening to call off the fight over a thick ring canvas which he deemed too spongy. The canvas was relaid.
Allied to a herky-jerky style from a gigantic 6ft 9in frame that had befuddled most opponents was an unwavering self-belief that a fight against the WBA, IBF and WBO champion was a simple night's work.
"I think this will be one of my easiest fights," said the self-styled Gypsy King. "It might sound crazy because he's a 'super-champion' and has been world champion for 11 years.
"But I see so many chinks in his armour and I'm going to expose them very quickly. If I could choose any champion to fight, I'd choose him. I can expose him and you'll see what I mean."
Boxing braggadocio is nothing new, see YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul's claim he can topple former two-time unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua ahead of their bizarre contest next month.
But Fury backed up his chat from the off, using his three-inch height advantage to baffle Klitschko in a slick, measured performance which was perhaps low on outright entertainment but mightily effective.
- Men's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Haney in, Canelo out, Benavidez moves up
- 'Most talented fighter' in UK? Adam Azim new era date set
Klitschko was at his best against shorter and stockier opponents after racking up 23 world title defences across two reigns, although his 11-year winning run was maligned for its safety first approach.
This was a scrappy affair but the best punches were landed by Fury, a 4/1 underdog, as he switched between orthodox and southpaw stances to confuse Klitschko, who at 39 was 12 years his rival's senior.
As Fury warmed to his task, he put his hands behind his back on several occasions and stuck out his chin but the bloodied and gun-shy Klitschko seemed wary of being countered by his faster foe.
Fury was docked a point for hitting behind the head in the 11th but held off his opponent's desperate advances in the championship rounds to earn a superb win with scores of 115-112 twice and 116-111.
"You're a great champion Wlad, thanks very much for having me," Fury said afterwards. "I've always known I would become world heavyweight champion. It's my destiny."
Fury then burst into a rendition of Aerosmith's hit ballad 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing', dedicating the song to his wife and his fans in Ireland, the UK, the United States and Germany.
A rematch was booked twice and ultimately cancelled, with Fury not fighting again for three-and-a-half years, in which he battled depression before launching a comeback and regaining world champions status.
He retired earlier this year after a pair of points defeats to Klitschko's compatriot Oleksandr Usyk.
Klitschko, meanwhile, fought just once more, losing a thrilling back-and-forth fight to Joshua at Wembley Stadium in April 2017.