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Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are set to earn the biggest purses of their boxing careers when they finally meet on December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, promoter Frank Warren has revealed.
The long-awaited heavyweight clash, backed by Netflix and Saudi financier Turki Alalshikh, comes after years of failed negotiations and several setbacks over the venue and promotional arrangements.
Warren said the enormous financial rewards attached to the bout eventually helped ensure that the fight would go ahead.
“We nearly did it a couple of times, and it just did not happen for various reasons. This time round, I thought we had done it, then with some of the personalities and what was going on with them, I had a couple of hesitations,” Warren told SunSport.
“But when you look at the money these fellows are getting paid, it is phenomenal money. They would be crazy not to do it. It is huge, huge purses. Massive money. The highest of their careers, I should think the highest of any British fighter’s career, ever.”
Netflix had initially favoured staging the fight at Madison Square Garden in New York, with UFC president Dana White involved, but Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, insisted on a legally binding agreement for the contest to take place in the United Kingdom.
Warren subsequently helped secure the 70,000-capacity Principality Stadium in Cardiff as the venue.
A late ring-walk time, reportedly between 1am and 2am, is also being considered to accommodate viewers in the United States.
Warren said the global nature of the event meant organisers had to consider audiences in different markets.
“We are a global village now, so you have got to try and hopefully accommodate everybody,” he said.
He added that the financial backers had taken a significant risk in staging the fight and deserved to benefit from their investment.
Warren, who has promoted Fury for much of his professional career, backed the former heavyweight champion to defeat Joshua by knockout.
“I think he will knock him out. Styles make fights. They are older fighters, I think Tyson has worn better than AJ,” he said.
Warren pointed to Fury’s durability and finishing ability, arguing that the Briton had repeatedly shown an ability to recover from difficult moments during his career.
The Fury-Joshua showdown will headline a busy final quarter of the boxing calendar, with Ben Whittaker facing Conor Wallace on October 3, Daniel Dubois meeting Fabio Wardley in a rematch on October 17, and Canelo Alvarez taking on Christian Mbili on October 31.
