The Principality Stadium has emerged as the new front runner to stage Anthony Joshua’s clash with Tyson Fury in the latest twist to negotiations between the British heavyweights.
The Cardiff venue is being explored as an alternative to New York’s Madison Square Garden and Wembley Stadium, the Press Association understands.
For the richest fight in British boxing history to be held in the Welsh capital, the 1030pm curfew for events currently in place would have to be lifted in order to satisfy the 2am start time desired by broadcasters Netflix.
Wembley operates an 11pm curfew and while Mayor of London Sadiq Khan last week urged promoters to “get the fight to London”, changing that to the early hours is deemed unlikely.
The Principality Stadium’s retractable roof means the bout can be staged in late November without concern over the weather, a weak point in Wembley’s prospects.
Location has been the main obstacle to the fight being agreed with Anthony Joshua’s contract with Sela, the Saudi state-owned promotional company that is financing the showdown, stipulating it must take place in the UK.
When Sela turned attention to New York with a November 20 date in order to capture a bigger TV audience for Netflix, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn demanded Joshua’s purse be increased to reflect the additional tax paid for boxing in the United States.
Fury’s agreement with Sela, meanwhile, is for the US and he has repeatedly used social media to taunt Joshua over his reluctance to commit to anywhere other than the UK.
“It’s inching closer and it looks like it could be the British boxing bonanza that we all hoped for taking place in Britain,” Fury’s manager Spencer Brown told Sky Sports.
“Three venues are still under consideration with Cardiff and Wembley still in the running.”
