Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will finally settle their long-running rivalry on December 11, with the eagerly anticipated all-British heavyweight clash confirmed for Cardiff. The £150million blockbuster will take place at the Principality Stadium.
Boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh announced the news after weeks of tense negotiations, confirming that Britain’s biggest fight will be staged in the UK. Netflix will broadcast the event live, with the fighters’ ring walks expected at approximately 2am UK time.
“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.”
Netflix has confirmed that subscribers will be able to watch the fight “at no additional cost”. Monthly membership in the UK starts at £7.99.
Bookmaker Betfair has installed Fury as the early favourite, pricing him at 8/15. Joshua is currently available at 13/8.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua has been confirmed for Friday, December 11
The Joshua-Fury rivalry dates back more than a decade, when both fighters were emerging as Britain’s leading heavyweight prospects
Joshua celebrated the announcement on social media, posting: “I am inspiring a generation”, alongside a British flag emoji.
His promoter Eddie Hearn, who pushed tirelessly to keep the contest in Britain, wrote: “WE DID IT. Forever indebted to the U.K. public for their support of Anthony Joshua. We couldn’t have got this over the line without you.”
Fury’s name appearing first on the bill for this Battle of Britain will provide an early victory in his ongoing public-relations battle with Joshua.
The fight had initially been scheduled for November 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York. However, pressure from Joshua and Hearn led to the contracts being renegotiated, allowing the contest to return to British soil.
Hearn had repeatedly argued that British fans should be able to see two of the country’s biggest sporting stars face one another at home. He ultimately succeeded in making that demand a reality.
Fury also preferred a UK venue, although he had been willing to accept a move to the United States amid concerns that the long-delayed bout could collapse yet again.
After a decade of delays and frustration, those fears have finally been put aside. Cardiff will host the showdown, with ring walks expected around 2am UK time as organisers accommodate Netflix viewers in the United States.
Wembley had been the leading venue option, but negotiations were held up by the need to secure a late-night event permit.
Netflix and Alalshikh wanted the event to reach a large American audience, meaning the fight needed to begin considerably later than Wembley would usually allow.
Cardiff was able to obtain the required permit, removing the final barrier to staging the long-awaited fight in Britain.
Cardiff’s Principality Stadium has been selected to host the fight following weeks of negotiations
The announcement has already triggered a rush for accommodation in the Welsh capital. Hotels across Cardiff are understood to be sold out as fans scramble to attend one of the biggest events in British boxing.
For Joshua, the move represents the culmination of a push to ensure the fight was staged in the UK.
The former two-times world champion and Hearn had been clear that, after years of watching British heavyweight stars travel overseas for major fights, Joshua-Fury belonged in front of their home crowd.
Fury was willing to compromise on the location if necessary, however, with his priority being to finally get the fight over the line.
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The roots of Joshua-Fury stretch back more than a decade, to when both men were emerging as Britain’s leading heavyweight prospects.
Joshua won Olympic gold at London 2012 before turning professional, while Fury had already made his professional debut in 2008 and was building an unbeaten record of his own.
For years, the prospect of the two eventually sharing a ring became one of British boxing’s great hypothetical match-ups.
Fury’s stunning victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 elevated him to the summit of the heavyweight division, while Joshua was rapidly closing in on world-title status himself.
Joshua claimed the IBF heavyweight title by stopping Charles Martin in 2016 before adding the WBA and IBO belts to his collection. By 2017, Joshua-Fury had evolved from a fantasy fight into a genuine target. But the negotiations repeatedly broke down.
The closest it came to fruition was in 2021, when the two camps appeared to be on the brink of agreeing a two-fight deal.
The proposed showdown was publicly discussed and appeared to be edging towards reality, only for Fury to become contractually obligated to face Deontay Wilder after an arbitration ruling.
That fight ultimately took place, with Fury beating Wilder for a third time, while Joshua embarked on his own defining chapter against Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua lost his WBA, IBF and WBO titles to Usyk in 2021 before suffering a second defeat to the Ukrainian in their 2022 rematch. Once again, Joshua-Fury seemed to drift further away. Then came another tantalising opportunity.
Negotiations accelerated in late 2022, with both camps discussing a potential December showdown, but the fight again failed to materialise. Fury moved on to other opponents while Joshua began rebuilding his career following the two defeats by Usyk.
The emergence of Alalshikh and the rapid expansion of Saudi Arabia’s influence over boxing created a fresh route to making the fight. And this time, the years of disappointment are finally over. The contracts have been signed. Joshua-Fury is no longer a fight being negotiated, teased or promised. It will take place in Cardiff on December 11.