Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally settle their long-running heavyweight rivalry when they meet at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on December 11.
The all-British heavyweight clash, which has been more than a decade in the making, will be streamed globally on Netflix.
BBC Sport reports that the main event is expected to take place in the early hours of Saturday morning in the United Kingdom, with organisers scheduling a late start to accommodate television audiences in the United States.
Joshua, 36, and Fury, 38, are expected to face the media at a joint press conference in London on Wednesday, September 30, as the promotional build-up to one of the most anticipated fights in British boxing history gets underway.
“I’m inspiring a generation,” Joshua said in a post on Instagram following the announcement.
Fury has yet to publicly comment on the announcement.
The fight is being promoted as a collaboration between Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and UFC president Dana White.
Alalshikh described the contest as a major moment for the sport, saying: “Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together. This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history. I’m very happy to make this fight happen for the fans.”
The former two-time world champions had already signed contracts for the bout earlier this year, although the date and venue had not previously been confirmed.
Cardiff venue
Wembley Stadium in London and Madison Square Garden in New York had been among the leading contenders to host the fight, but issues surrounding both venues meant Cardiff eventually emerged as the preferred location.
The Principality Stadium has previously hosted major boxing events, including Joe Calzaghe’s 2007 victory over Mikkel Kessler.
Officials from the Welsh Rugby Union and Cardiff Council welcomed the decision to stage the fight in the Welsh capital, saying it would strengthen Cardiff’s reputation as a host of major sporting events and could provide a significant boost to the local economy.
However, some operational details are still expected to be finalised.
Joshua had consistently pushed for the long-awaited fight to take place in the United Kingdom, and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, expressed gratitude to British supporters.
“Forever indebted to the UK public for their support of Anthony Joshua. We couldn’t get this over the line without you,” Hearn said.
Late-night start expected
A heavyweight contest beginning in the early hours of the morning would be unusual for a major British boxing event, although UK fights have previously been scheduled around American television audiences.
The precise start time for Fury-Joshua has not yet been confirmed, but Hearn has suggested that the main event could begin as late as 3am GMT.
A ring walk at around 1am or 2am GMT would place the fight at approximately 8pm or 9pm on the US East Coast, respectively.
Why Fury-Joshua matters
For years, British boxing fans have followed negotiations between the two camps, watched potential agreements collapse and questioned whether Fury and Joshua would ever share the ring.
The long-awaited contest is now set to take place after several failed attempts.
In 2020, the two camps reached the basis of a two-fight agreement. Contracts were signed in 2021 for an undisputed heavyweight contest, but Deontay Wilder’s successful arbitration case forced Fury to face the American for a third time.
In 2022, Joshua accepted a 60-40 financial split to challenge Fury, but that attempt also collapsed.
The latest agreement gives Joshua the UK-based fight he had wanted, while organisers have secured a stadium capable of hosting a major event and a broadcast arrangement designed to reach audiences in the United States.
For British supporters, the significance of the fight extends beyond the financial terms, broadcast arrangements and venue fees.
Fans have followed both fighters through world-title victories, defeats, comebacks and rivalries, while repeatedly seeing attempts to make the contest fall apart.
The December showdown will now give tens of thousands of supporters the opportunity to travel to Cardiff for what is expected to be one of the biggest nights in British boxing in years.
Although the fight has taken considerably longer to materialise than many fans expected, Fury-Joshua will finally provide an opportunity for two of Britain’s most prominent heavyweight fighters of their generation to share the ring.
