Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are finally set to meet in the ring at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 11, in what is widely regarded as one of the most significant fights on British soil in years. However, the exact start time remains uncertain, with the event still subject to Cardiff Council approval regarding the stadium's curfew.
Fight details and venue history
Joshua has fought in Cardiff twice before, defeating Carlos Takam in 2017 and Joseph Parker in 2018 at the same venue. In contrast, this will be Fury's first fight at the stadium and his first encounter with Joshua in a rivalry that has long been considered one of the most unfulfilled in world boxing.
Anticipation is high, but there is no clarity yet on when the fighters will step into the ring. Broadcaster Netflix has reportedly been keen to push the fight into the early hours of the morning to cater to an American audience, prompting suggestions the fight could start as late as 2-3am.
Curfew and licensing talks
As things stand, the curfew at the Principality Stadium means all events must end by 1am, and no application has yet been made to extend that licence. However, WalesOnline understands that discussions between the WRU, which owns the stadium, and Cardiff Council are ongoing. The possibility of extending the curfew to a later time is believed to be central to those talks.
Organisers are acutely aware of the likely international interest in the fight and are willing to push the ring walks for the main event late into the night. There is precedent for this in Cardiff: Joe Calzaghe fought Mikkel Kessler in the early hours of the morning in 2007, with the main event ring walk taking place between 1 and 2am to accommodate international broadcasting. The expectation is that organisers are hoping for a similar time-slot for this fight, although nothing has been decided yet.
Licensing process and potential objections
Any application to the council to extend the curfew would need to be submitted and advertised, including by displaying a notice at or on the premises, for 28 consecutive days. Members of the public and other authorities may make an objection or a comment in support during this time. If no relevant representations are received, the application must be approved.
However, if objections are made, the council has to hold a hearing to consider them. While it is feasible objections could be received, it seems highly unlikely the council would block the fight given the huge financial benefits it will bring to the city and all other local agencies on board. Any objection may result in modifications to the conditions of the licence, or the application may be refused altogether.
Organisers' comments and next steps
Organisers have so far declined to offer too much detail officially, but have admitted the event is 'subject to licence'. Promoter Eddie Hearn has previously suggested that while the start time is likely to be late, it might not be as late as some have suggested.
"People talk about a 3am fight? I don't think you'll see the fight that late," Hearn said ahead of Thursday's announcement. "But obviously there had to be conversations with the stadium about what's possible and what is not possible. That's probably a reason for the delay [of the official announcement] -- to make sure everything is boxed off with the council to have a slightly later start time."
It seems there is still some work to be done, however, with talks between the WRU and council ongoing.
