The cancellation of the bout between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul has led to feelings of groundhog day for many boxing fans.
That bout was brewing all year, with the pair coming to a head in Cleveland following their respective victories against Anthony Taylor and Tyron Woodley.
It was clear for a while that Fury vs Paul was on the cards, with confirmation then coming and a date of December 18th - nicely filling in a week before Christmas.
However, just 12 days before the bout, Fury has pulled out to be replaced by Woodley - leaving fans in a familiar situation.
You don't have to look far to find similar frustrations, with Tyson Fury's proposed unification bout with Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia collapsing after a court ruled the Gypsy King must honour his rematch with Deontay Wilder.
It resulted in a thrilling affair last month, one in which Fury secured another win against the American, but Joshua 's defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September meant a further delay in any unification bout.
Admittedly, there is still a chance that Fury vs Usyk goes ahead sooner than anticipated if Joshua steps aside but a fight between Fury and AJ is what fans wanted to see.
That's also the case for Fury vs Paul, two men who have named a name for themselves in the social media landscape before transitioning into their boxing careers - where both are undefeated.
It may not have been for a belt or have been a fight contested by two of the best in the world but it was a bout that was opening the door for a new boxing audience - but that has now been slammed shut.
Fury could reemerge as an opponent for Paul later down the line but things move fast in the boxing world and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the American set his sights elsewhere.
After all, he's shared his aspiration of becoming a world champion and retiring after just ten fights - and he'll be halfway towards that tally following the December 18th event.
Clearly, 2021 has not been the year for fans hoping to see the titanic clashes they're desperate for and plenty needs to change for the next 12 months to be any different.
