Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally settle their long-standing heavyweight rivalry on December 11 at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Promoted by Turki Alalshikh and Dana White, the long-awaited all-British blockbuster will stream globally on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers, with ring walks expected during the early hours.
More than a decade after their careers first intersected as Britain’s leading heavyweight prospects, the two former world champions have signed to share a professional ring.
The event is being promoted as a collaboration between Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and UFC chief Dana White. Two of the best heavyweights of this generation, finally in the ring together,
Alalshikh said. This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing history. I am 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, but the date and venue had yet to be confirmed. Fury took to social media on multiple occasions to pin the blame for the delay on Joshua, before even touting a trilogy fight against Oleksandr Usyk, against whom both have lost twice, while Joshua’s side had insisted the bout ought to be held in Britain. But there was only ever one fight truly on the cards for them, with confirmation now coming that the heavyweight rivals will finally meet in arguably the biggest fight in British boxing history.
Together, the two fighters bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts, and multiple world titles into the contest. While past talks collapsed, both camps cleared the final hurdles to lock in a December date on British soil.
Cardiff’s Principality Stadium Wins the Bid Over London and New York
The location of the fight had been a major stumbling block during negotiations for the hugely anticipated heavyweight clash. The venue was chosen after discussions about Wembley and a possible New York date; Cardiff’s retractable roof and ability to host a late-night event helped make it viable.
Organizers structured the timetable to capture American audiences watching on streaming platforms, prompting discussions around a late-night start. Ring walks are expected around 2 a.m. UK time on December 12 to accommodate U.S. viewers. BBC Sport understands the main event could take place in the early hours of Saturday morning in the UK, with organisers considering a late start to cater for audiences in the United States.
ESPN’s James Dielhenn reported that Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, who represents Joshua, all but confirmed the dream fight is close to being agreed
upon for the Dec. 11 date. To maximize the worldwide audience on Netflix, Hearn added that the fight will start later than usual, but not as late as some fans fear. BST [10 p.m. ET] fight? I don’t think you’ll see the fight that late,” Hearn said. “But obviously there had to be conversations with the stadium about what’s possible and what is not possible. That’s probably a reason for the delay [of the official announcement] — to make sure everything is boxed off with the council to have a slightly later start time.
Netflix Global Broadcast and Promotion Details
The bout, more than a decade in the making, will be broadcast globally on Netflix. Netflix today confirmed the fight would be available ‘at no additional cost’ to subscribers. Their general membership pricing starts at £7.99 a month in the UK.
Bookmaker Betfair make Fury the early favourite to win, pricing him at 8/15. Joshua is priced at 13/8. Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua has been announced for Friday, December 11.
Fury enters with a 36-2-1 record and Joshua with a 30-4 record, and both are former heavyweight champions. Both fighters won July warm-up bouts; Joshua stopped Kristian Prenga after being knocked down twice.
Joshua and Fury will come face-to-face at a news conference in London on Wednesday, 30 September, as the build-up begins to one of the most anticipated fights in British boxing history. I am inspiring a generation,
Joshua, 36, posted on Instagram. Fury, 38, is yet to comment on the announcement.
‘For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight,’ Alalshikh said. ‘Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me. 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. Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. Years in the making. One night to settle it. December 11th. LIVE on Netflix.’
Keep reading
