Anthony Joshua's heavyweight clash with Tyson Fury could be in jeopardy following opposition to the fight taking place in the early hours of the morning. Fury and Joshua are set to meet in Cardiff on December 11, with the ring walks planned for 1am the next morning.
Event organisers are seeking permission for the stadium to remain open until 3.30am, but their proposal has drawn objections from nearby residents. Cardiff Council's Licensing Sub-Committee will convene on November 25 - just over a fortnight before the fight date - to determine whether to approve or refuse the stadium's application for an extension to its existing arrangements.
Residents raise concerns over noise and disruption
One resident who expressed their concerns said: "The Council should carefully consider whether these extended hours are necessary and whether adequate safeguards can realistically prevent additional noise, disorder and disruption during the early hours. I ask the Council to refuse the application in its current form."
Another added: "The shouting, singing, and inevitable anti-social behaviour at that hour is going to completely wake the whole house up and leave us with exhausted, stressed children. I know this is a massive sporting event for the city, but letting it run into the early hours of the morning is going to cause absolute chaos for those of us living right next to it."
"Mixing all-night drinking with a complete lack of transport is just a recipe for trouble, and it's our residential streets that will end up paying the price for it."
US broadcast times shape the schedule
The suggested fight schedule has been arranged to accommodate prime viewing hours in the United States, with Saudi Arabia's boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, his American business associate Dana White and streaming platform Netflix, having initially advocated for New York's Madison Square Garden as the location.
Although Cardiff has been confirmed as the host city, necessary amendments to its premises licence to permit the early-morning bout have not yet been approved. In an effort to secure the required authorisations, Millennium Stadium plc submitted a request to the council to extend the facility's operating hours "on a very limited one-off occasion".
The submission aims to extend the permitted hours for boxing and wrestling events from the existing 1am finish time to 3am on December 12. A council spokesman stated: "This is to facilitate the proposed Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury bout, with the ring walk commencing at 0100."
