Britain’s fight of decade: Fury and Joshua agree on date and venue
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua (Photo: Getty Images)
The long-awaited fight between two former world heavyweight champions, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, will officially take place. The British heavyweights have agreed on all the details and will step into the ring on December 11 at a stadium in Cardiff, BBC Sport reports.
Triumph of British fans and details of the deal
For a long time, Saudi Arabia and the legendary Madison Square Garden arena in New York were considered the main contenders to host the fight. Joshua’s team later pushed for Wembley, but ultimately the decision was made to hold the bout under the roof of Principality Stadium in the Welsh capital.
Joshua’s contract stipulated that the fight had to take place in the UK, while moving it to the US would have been disadvantageous for the boxer due to US taxes. At the same time, the stadium in Cardiff will allow tens of thousands of British fans to gather under a closed roof at the end of the year.
Promoter Eddie Hearn emphasized the special status of the showdown.
"There is a desperation to win this fight and this is why sport is the greatest. I’ve never wanted to win a fight so badly," Hearn said.
Road to the megafight: Tune-up bouts and years of waiting
Both boxers had tune-up fights in July. Thirty-seven-year-old Tyson Fury stopped 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in the seventh round in Thailand, while 36-year-old Anthony Joshua survived two knockdowns in the first round in Jeddah and knocked out Albania’s Kristian Prenga in the second.
The history of negotiations between the boxers stretched over several years. Deals fell through in 2020, 2021 and 2022 because of lawsuits and financial disagreements. This time, however, the sides managed to reach a final agreement that will give Britain one of the biggest sporting events of the decade.
