British heavyweight stars Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are set to face each other in a highly anticipated all-British clash at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11.
The fight follows successful comeback bouts for both boxers in July.
Fury, 37, stopped 46-year-old Polish heavyweight Mariusz Wach in the seventh round of their contest in Pattaya, Thailand. The event reportedly attracted about 1,500 spectators and was not televised.
Joshua, 36, also secured a victory in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but had to overcome a difficult start. He was knocked down twice in the opening round before recovering and stopping Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga in the second round.
The fight marked Joshua’s first bout since surviving a road crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of his close associates, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele.
Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, had previously preferred Wembley Stadium as the venue for the Fury showdown. However, the agreement with the Saudi organisers financing the event reportedly requires the fight to take place in Britain, while a switch to the United States would require fresh negotiations.
Hearn has described the Fury fight as a major moment in Joshua’s career.
Speaking after Pat Brown defeated John Hedges on September 19, Hearn said Joshua’s career had reached a crucial point with the upcoming bout and stressed his desire for Joshua to win.
The December 11 encounter will end years of negotiations and speculation over a potential meeting between the two prominent British heavyweights.
