Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury date and venue confirmed as clever decision avoids nightmare scenario
After years of back-and-forth, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’s blockbuster heavyweight fight has finally been confirmed.
It was announced on Thursday (September 24) that Fury and Joshua will throw down at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday, December 11.
“For 15 years, no one has been able to make this fight. Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me,” Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh wrote on X.
“I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over........”
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Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium and London’s Wembley Stadium were previously noted as potential venues before Cardiff got the nod.
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The Principality boasts a retractable roof, which may come in handy given that the fight is taking place in the middle of winter. Around 80,000 tickets are expected to go on sale to supporters.
It has also been widely reported that the bout could take place in the early hours of December 11 to cater to an American TV audience. A press conference will be held in London on September 30 at 6pm.
Following the announcement, Joshua posted two photographs of himself wearing a white blazer with a backdrop of a Union Jack flag, accompanied by the caption: “The quietest ones often pull the strings. Those who appear least involved may hold the greatest control. Let them shout first, the wisest wait until the final move.
“Yours truly, Anthony Joshua.”
The pair and their promoters, Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, have been involved in talks for some time, with Fury taking to social media on several occasions and even hinting that he had moved on from the fight at one stage in favour of a third bout with Oleksandr Usyk.
AJ and Fury last came face to face after the latter’s comeback victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Stadium in April.
After the fight, Fury invited Joshua to step into the ring before delivering an X-rated rant.
“I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me next. Do you accept?” Fury screamed down the microphone.
Joshua refused to get into the ring before firing back: “I punched you up when we were kids, and I'll punch you up again.
“You aren't going to tell me what to do; I've been chasing you for 10 years.
“I'm the boss, you work for me. I'm the landlord. You work for me.”
Since the Makhmudov fight, Fury has been in the ring once, beating Polish veteran Mariusz Wach by seventh-round knockout in Pattaya, Thailand. The victory came the night before Joshua faced Albania’s Kristian Prenga on his return to the ring following a fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Despite being floored inside 20 seconds, Joshua regained his composure before knocking his opponent out in the second round.
Topics: Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Boxing
Luke Davies