Boxing mogul Turki Al-Sheikh has announced December 11 and Cardiff as the venue for the “Battle of Britain” between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
It’s now official: The long-awaited showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will take place on December 11 at Principality Stadium (formerly Millennium Stadium) in Cardiff. Turki Al-Sheikh announced this on social media.
With this, AJ and his promoter Eddie Hearn have steadfastly carried out their plan to hold the “Battle of Britain” on the island rather than in the U.S. BOXSPORT had already reported yesterday on the agreement reached by the parties involved. The deal was then officially announced today by “His Excellency” Al-Sheikh. “Years of making it happen. One night to finish it,” wrote the most powerful power broker in the boxing world.
“Years in the making—one night to end it all”
Until recently, it looked as though Fury vs. Joshua would take place during U.S. primetime at Madison Square Garden in New York. This was primarily the goal of streaming service Netflix, which will broadcast the mega-fight exclusively. Now, the “Battle of Britain” boxing match at the Principality Stadium is set to begin after midnight. Some sources mention 2:00 a.m.—which would still put the fight in prime time for U.S. viewers. The advantage of the 80,000-seat arena in Cardiff is that the roof can be fully closed in case of bad weather.
“For 15 years, no one has been able to make this fight happen,” Turki Al-Sheikh announced proudly. “I said back in April that any announcement would come from me. Now I can confirm that Fury is coming to the U.K. to face Joshua, just as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talk is over.”
Text: Frank Schwantes