Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are expected to finally stand face to face in London on Wednesday, September 30, as preparations continue for their long awaited all British heavyweight showdown in Cardiff later this year.
The former world heavyweight champions are scheduled to appear at an official launch press conference at the British Airways ARC at Olympia in London, marking their first public head to head since the December contest was formally announced.
Fury and Joshua are due to fight at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11, bringing to an end years of negotiations, failed agreements and speculation over whether two of Britain’s biggest boxing stars would ever meet professionally.
Wednesday’s appearance has taken on additional significance because, only days ago, there were questions over whether the press conference would happen at all.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn had said during the weekend that nothing had been confirmed regarding the media event. Hearn also insisted there could not realistically be a Fury Joshua press conference without Joshua’s promotional team being involved.
However, several of those issues have since been resolved, and Fury, Joshua, Hearn and Fury’s promoter Frank Warren are now expected to attend the London launch.
The development provides fresh reassurance around a fight that briefly appeared to be in danger despite having already been announced.
Fury himself raised doubts over the contest during the weekend, suggesting there was only a very small chance of the bout taking place and accusing Joshua’s side of creating obstacles.
Those comments followed disagreement surrounding promotional responsibilities for the event, with Saudi entertainment figure Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and Dana White named among those involved in staging the fight.
White also admitted at the weekend that he was uncertain whether the bout and Wednesday’s press conference would proceed.
The situation now appears to have stabilised.
One of the issues raised by Hearn concerned Fury’s participation in pre fight drug testing. Fury’s management has since told Sky Sports that the former WBC champion enrolled in the required testing programme six days ahead of the deadline.
That removes another potential source of disagreement as both camps move towards the promotional phase of the contest.
A rivalry more than a decade in the making
Few fights in British boxing have been discussed for as long as Fury against Joshua.
The pair were linked with a heavyweight showdown during the period when they collectively held all four major world championship belts, raising hopes of an undisputed fight between two British champions.
Those negotiations ultimately collapsed.
Joshua then lost his unified titles to Oleksandr Usyk, while Fury later suffered consecutive defeats against the Ukrainian, meaning the long awaited meeting will take place at a different stage in both careers.
Yet the commercial and sporting interest surrounding the matchup has remained enormous.
Fury and Joshua have been two of Britain’s defining heavyweight fighters of the past decade, headlining major stadium events and competing for world championships across Europe, the Middle East and the United States.
Their history even stretches back to a sparring session in 2010, years before Joshua became Olympic champion and Fury established himself among the leading heavyweights in the world.
The December meeting will therefore settle a rivalry that boxing supporters have debated for well over a decade.
Cardiff confirmed after venue negotiations
The choice of the Principality Stadium was an important part of finally completing the agreement.
Joshua and Hearn had repeatedly pushed for the fight to take place in Britain, while New York’s Madison Square Garden had also been discussed as a potential venue.
The Cardiff stadium eventually emerged as the compromise, allowing the contest to remain on British soil while providing the capacity and infrastructure required for an event of this scale.
The retractable roof is another advantage for a major boxing event being held during December.
The main event is expected to take place in the early hours of Saturday morning in the UK despite being officially listed for Friday, December 11, with the unusual timing designed to accommodate audiences in the United States.
The fight is also expected to be shown globally on Netflix.
World title could add another incentive
The contest may carry more than rivalry and national bragging rights.
Reports indicate that the vacant WBA “Super” heavyweight championship is expected to be on the line following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate the title earlier this year.
That creates the possibility of another significant career achievement for both fighters.
Fury and Joshua have each previously held heavyweight world titles on two separate occasions, meaning victory in Cardiff could see the winner become a three time heavyweight champion.
Fury has already acknowledged that possibility as another source of motivation heading into the contest.
For Joshua, victory would mark another major comeback after several difficult periods during the latter stages of his career.
For Fury, it would provide an opportunity to rebuild his championship status following his defeats to Usyk.
Press conference promises fireworks
The immediate focus now shifts towards London.
Fury and Joshua have exchanged plenty of verbal attacks from a distance throughout their careers, but Wednesday’s event will put them together in a formal fight setting for the first time since the matchup became official.
Fury is known for attempting to gain a psychological advantage during press conferences, frequently using humour, confrontation and unpredictable comments to place opponents under pressure.
Joshua has generally adopted a more controlled approach during media events, although tensions between the two men have increased significantly during the lengthy negotiations surrounding this fight.
Their first official face off should therefore provide an early indication of the tone that will define the next two months.
There are also likely to be questions surrounding the recent promotional disagreements, the terms of the fight, testing arrangements and Fury’s public suggestion that the contest had been close to collapsing.
Both Hearn and Warren are expected to be present, giving reporters the opportunity to seek clarification over how the recent issues were resolved.
The biggest step yet towards December 11
Given the history surrounding Fury Joshua negotiations, every confirmed milestone carries extra significance.
Previous attempts to make the fight progressed a long way before ultimately collapsing, which explains why supporters have remained cautious even after the December date was announced.
Wednesday’s London press conference would therefore represent another important step towards finally getting both men into the ring.
Contracts have been announced, Cardiff has been confirmed and the promotional launch is now expected to proceed despite the uncertainty of recent days.
There are still more than two months remaining before fight night, and boxing history shows that circumstances can change quickly.
But for now, the long awaited Battle of Britain is moving forward.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are expected to stand face to face in London on Wednesday before turning their attention towards December 11, when one of the biggest heavyweight rivalries in British boxing is finally scheduled to be settled inside the Principality Stadium.
