Joshua vs. Fury at Wembley? One Condition Applies

The Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury saga continues as Turki Alalshikh confirmed his desire for the long-awaited heavyweight clash to take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England, later this year.

Perhaps five years overdue, Joshua and Fury have finally signed a deal to face each other after a decade where this was the most anticipated fight in the UK. However, both must first win their respective warm-up bouts. Fury is set to take on Mariusz Wach on July 24th in Pattaya, Thailand, while Joshua will box Christian Prenga the following day in Saudi Arabia. If both defeat their seemingly weaker opponents, as expected, they are finally slated to meet in November.

There had been debates about whether the biggest fight in British boxing history, featuring two British fighters, would actually be held in the UK. Reports emerged suggesting the bout might be staged in the USA, where it would undoubtedly generate higher gate receipts. This sparked discontent among British boxing fans, prompting Alalshikh—the man funding the fight—to announce last week that the venue was still undecided.

Now, Alalshikh has shed more light on the reasons why Wembley Stadium might not be a suitable venue for the British mega-clash. The home of the English national football team has a curfew until 10:30 PM, which can be extended to 11:00 PM under special circumstances. Alalshikh told reporters that he would require Wembley to extend its operating hours for the fight to accommodate the US television audience.

“We have Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury this year. We haven’t chosen the venue yet,” Alalshikh stated. “It depends on whether England will give us everything we need. We want the fight to be here in England, but we want the time zone to be convenient for the whole world, especially America. If they allow us to use Wembley late at night, we want to do it in England.”