Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are set for a 1am ringwalk in their heavyweight boxing clash in Cardiff. The Principality Stadium will host the biggest fight in British boxing history, with the bout being billed as taking place on Friday December 11. However, the expected schedule for the showdown has now been revealed, which will see the main event take place in the early hours of Saturday morning UK time.
An application to Cardiff Council confirmed the ringwalk is planned to start at around 1am, after a short live music performance, and the stadium will remain open until 3.30am. Those timings would suit peak viewing time in the United States, with Saudi Arabia's boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh, his American business partner Dana White and broadcasters Netflix having originally pushed for New York's Madison Square Garden as the venue.
Despite Cardiff being announced as the venue last month, required changes to its premises licence to allow the early-hours fight to go ahead have yet to be secured. Millennium Stadium plc has applied to the council to extend timings at the venue "on a very limited one-off occasion". The application seeks to extend permitted hours for boxing and wrestling entertainment from an existing cut-off of 1am to 3am on December 12.
A council spokesperson said: "This is to facilitate the proposed Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury bout, with the ringwalk commencing at 1am." The licence variation also proposes an extension for recorded music, late-night refreshment and supply of alcohol until 3am, with the stadium closing time being moved to 3.30am. Members of the public and other authorities may make an objection until November 3.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing