Cardiff stadium emerges as option to save Joshua vs Fury

Cardiff’s Principality Stadium has emerged as a potential venue to salvage the highly anticipated heavyweight boxing match between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, according to PUNCH Sports Extra. The Welsh stadium, also known as the Millennium Stadium, has reportedly been willing to meet the broadcast demands that have hindered plans for a fight at Wembley Stadium.

The primary obstacle has been the contract stipulation that the bout must take place in the United Kingdom, with both Fury and Joshua insisting on a British location. Efforts to shift the event to Madison Square Garden in New York have faced resistance from Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn. The issue of timing, specifically a start time of around 2am, which would accommodate a broader American audience, has been a sticking point.

Wembley Stadium's curfew rules make it unlikely to accommodate such a start time. However, the retractable roof at Cardiff would provide weather protection for a proposed November date. Despite several attempts to negotiate a move to New York, Hearn has suggested that Joshua might accept a renegotiated contract, including a higher purse to cover taxes.

Both fighters have remained firm on staging the bout in the UK. Fury's ally, Spencer Brown, has stated that the fight remains on, though the risk of the match collapsing persists, similar to previous close calls. Joshua has returned to training at Ben Davison’s gym in Essex, following his defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September 2024, and has since linked up with Oleksandr Usyk’s training team in Spain. The 36-year-old previously parted ways with Davison after their September 2024 loss at Wembley.