Darts sensation Luke Littler has voiced his frustration over the decision to schedule the Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua bout on December 11 - the very same evening the PDC World Darts Championship is set to begin.
The highly anticipated clash, more than a decade in the making, will be broadcast worldwide on Netflix. The two heavyweight giants put pen to paper earlier this year, with Joshua's contract containing a clause stipulating the fight must take place on British soil, with Wembley initially touted as the venue for a November showdown.
However, Netflix, which holds the broadcasting rights, were reportedly uneasy about the prospect of an afternoon start time in the US, and pushed for the contest to be relocated across the Atlantic.
Fight Time and Venue Confirmed
The headline bout will now take place on Friday December 11th, with promoter Eddie Hearn indicating the main event is expected to get under way in the early hours of Saturday at 1:00am UK time, accommodating American audiences with a later start. The World Darts Championship is also scheduled to commence that same evening.
Taking to Instagram, Littler reposted the fight announcement and made his displeasure known, writing: "A message to the Hearn's, what is this? Opening night of the World Championship (World champion plays on opening night 11th December) and you put one of the biggest fights in Britain on the same night. You had one job."
Darts Schedule and Boxing Showdown
World Darts Championship sessions usually commence at 12:30pm GMT during the afternoon, with evening fixtures starting at 7pm. The competition is scheduled to run from December 11 through to January 3 at Alexandra Palace in London.
Meanwhile, Joshua and Fury are set to clash at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. The pair will meet at a press conference in London on Wednesday, September 30, as anticipation builds for one of the most eagerly awaited bouts in British boxing history.
"I am inspiring a generation," Joshua, 36, announced on Instagram, while Fury has remained silent on the matter.
Littler's Boxing Ambitions
Littler, an avid boxing enthusiast, has frequently attended fights and previously suggested his ambition to enter the boxing ring himself. "I'd love to, but the missus does not want me to. I'd love to, a one-off definitely, on Misfits," he said previously. When questioned about potential opponents in the ring, Littler's answer was brief and decisive. He simply stated: "Anyone."
Las Vegas and Los Angeles were both in the running as potential locations, yet Madison Square Garden in New York ultimately emerged as the frontrunner. Despite this, Joshua and his promoter Hearn remained resolute that the bout should be held on home soil - as stipulated in the original contract.
They put forward a series of conditions before entertaining the prospect of crossing the Atlantic, continuing to push for a British venue, with Cardiff eventually surfacing as an alternative to Wembley. Joshua and Fury, who are each reportedly set to pocket £75million, both secured wins in July ahead of their highly anticipated clash. Fury stopped Mariusz Wach in the seventh round of their non-televised contest in Thailand, while Joshua was floored twice by Kristian Prenga before rallying to halt the Albanian in the second round.
Littler, meanwhile, has his sights set on claiming back-to-back PDC World Darts Championship titles, building on his triumph from last year.
