The Principality Stadium in Cardiff is emerging as the leading venue to host the highly anticipated heavyweight boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, potentially scheduled for late November. This development hinges on the Welsh government’s approval to extend the stadium’s usual 10:30 p.m. curfew, allowing the fight to take place during the early hours.
A press conference to announce the fight is tentatively planned for next week, pending the government’s decision, which is expected within the next 24 hours. This would mark the resolution of a complex set of negotiations that have delayed confirmation of the bout.
Joshua, 36, entered into a two-fight contract earlier this year worth over £50 million with Saudi boxing promoter Turki Al-Sheikh. His first fight under this deal occurred in July in Jeddah against Albania’s Kristian Prenga, where Joshua secured a narrow victory despite being knocked down twice. The contract stipulated that the second fight, against Fury, must take place in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury, 38, secured a separate deal with Saudi interests for a comparable purse, based on the expectation that the fight would be held outside the UK. This assumption followed Fury’s relocation last year from Morecambe to the Isle of Man for tax purposes. Fury’s warm-up fight in July—a non-televised bout in Thailand against Mariusz Wach—preceded declarations that he was willing to fight anywhere.
Despite Fury’s flexibility, the situation became complicated by a third contract involving Sela, the sports division of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, and Netflix, which holds broadcasting rights for the fight. Netflix, with an estimated 90 million subscribers in the United States and Canada, has strongly advocated for the bout to be staged at Madison Square Garden in New York. Joshua’s team has resisted this demand without a significantly enhanced financial offer.
Other UK venues face challenges as well. Wembley Stadium, for example, enforces a strict 11 p.m. curfew and authorities there are reportedly unlikely to grant exceptions. Against this backdrop, optimism has grown around the Principality Stadium, which can accommodate nearly 80,000 spectators and offers the advantage of a retractable roof. Organizers believe that the necessary infrastructure can be adapted to support a late start, potentially clearing the way for the fight to proceed in Cardiff.
At present, all eyes remain on the Welsh government’s forthcoming decision, which will likely determine the final venue and timing for one of boxing’s most eagerly awaited heavyweight contests.