Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury's long-awaited all-British showdown will take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday December 11. The location of the fight had been a major stumbling block during negotiations for the hugely anticipated heavyweight clash. 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. The time of the fight is still yet to be announced. "For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight.
Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me," Turki Alalshikh wrote on X. "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........" Both Fury and Joshua swiftly reposted the promotional image for the fight to their social media channels.
Joshua shared a cryptic post shortly before Alalshikh's announcement, hinting at his own influence on the protracted negotiations. "The quietest ones often pull the strings," Joshua wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of himself in front of a Union Jack. "Those who appear least involved may hold the greatest control.
Let them shout first, the wisest wait until the final move. Yours truly, Anthony Joshua." Joshua and Fury, both former heavyweight world champions, have had a long-running rivalry that's stretched over years, punctuated by callouts and trash talk but marred by the difficulty of finalising a deal. Earlier this year the British boxing stars did sign to fight one another but months passed without a date or a venue being set.
The wrangling intensified as taking the contest to New York's Madison Square Garden became a genuine possibility. The fight appeared to be on the edge of collapse once again, with Fury threatening to seek alternative options. But the all-British showdown has been salvaged and has now set a date for a UK stadium.
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