BoxRec

Good luck to anyone trying to get home from Wembley at 6 in the morning on a sunday

Honestly if they want it at that time, might as well just have the fight in USA.

Netflix want the later start for Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury, says Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn has claimed that Netflix believes there will be no difference in UK viewership between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury walking to the ring at 11pm or 2am in the UK.

The debate over the location for the long awaited domestic dustup between Joshua and Fury has consumed the news ever since it was reported the pair had finally signed contracts. It has taken a new turn this week with Turki Alalshikh – the man funding the fight – announcing if the bout is to take place at London’s Wembley Stadium then the bout must start late into the night to accommodate an American broadcast audience.

The current curfew for fans to be out of Wembley is 11pm, but with the ring walks now being requested for 2am, that could mean fans being in the stadium until around 3am.

Hearn, however, has now claimed that the broadcaster of the event, Netflix, do not believe there will be any difference in British viewership if the ring walks were to start at a normal UK time of 11pm or the extended 2am. But there could be a significant drop in American viewership if the whole thing started at a sensible hour.

“Netflix wants to maximize the viewership for that fight,” Hearn told IFL TV. “They feel that a fight in the States at 5pm or 2pm on the West Coast doesn't rate [highly]. But a fight at 9pm East Coast or 10pm East Coast does rate significantly better. And they feel like if the fight was at 2am in the UK, the numbers would be exactly the same [as in the UK at] 11pm, and they're probably right.

“Everyone's going to watch, it doesn't really matter if it's at 2am or 11pm. But I'm just telling you and Turki's already explained it, the key is they're paying a lot of money. They want as big a global audience as possible. That's the reality of it."

https://www.youtube.com/c/ifltv

No chance is Wembley Stadium hosting an event at 4am

Think there over estimating things here if its late to suit usa times, i ll be happy it means mid morning here for me. So i,ll get up make a coffee turn it on and waste the morning away watching it will probably finish here about midday .
Only thing i,ll have to decide is do i give up my morning ride through the hills to watch it , and i probably will . But one thing i doubt i will do is get up at 4 am to watch it if its normal english time , because to be honest its 5 years past its use by date . Whoever wins to me is irrelevent because there both finished and over the hill , thiz fight now just has a Jake Paul circus feel to it . The whole thing is all about filling there retirement accounts nothing more nothing less . .
While the british fans are boxing mad and will pay for all sorts of shite and a night out look at misfits , i just dont think the yanks will buy into it the way they think they will. I know here in Oz theres no buzz about it with my mates unlike 5, 6 , years ago when everyone was wanting to see it . Nope i just thing King Tut tut is grossly over estimating this fight between to fighters well past there use by date . He wants big numbers he should put it on a misfits show and feature Furys dad and Froch

What's Turki doing here, he seems to have promised everyone everything and made a right mess of it all.

It’s going to have to be in the USA, as wrong for the UK fans as that may be. The money men rule. Edward will give in or the fight just won’t happen, sadly.

At this stage of both their careers it's just about the money. Neither guy seen, even by their biggest fan Bois, as the top guy in the division.
Let it go to the USA and for Turkish to burn some of his backers money ..

The Principality Stadium in Cardiff "would be delighted" to stage the Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury fight, with a main event start time as late as 2am being no problem

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 06:42 No chance is Wembley Stadium hosting an event at 4am

I don't think it would sell out with a 4am ring walk.

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 11:51

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 06:42 No chance is Wembley Stadium hosting an event at 4am

I don't think it would sell out with a 4am ring walk.

Especially in November

Flump wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 12:18

keithmoonhangover wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 11:51

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 06:42 No chance is Wembley Stadium hosting an event at 4am

I don't think it would sell out with a 4am ring walk.

Especially in November

Exactly Mr Flump.

I don't think it would sell out a 60k+ stadium in the US.

Millenium Stadium could definitely host it, got a proper roof and smack bang in the city centre. Still wouldn’t be any public transport running so not ideal for people relying on that to get home, but otherwise would be fine. Still can’t see it happening tho.

Somehow I think this is one of those fights that never happens

tony1234 wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 14:04 Somehow I think this is one of those fights that never happens

I agree. I think they'll postpone it to next year, Fury will fight Kabayel.

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 13:13 Millenium Stadium could definitely host it, got a proper roof and smack bang in the city centre. Still wouldn’t be any public transport running so not ideal for people relying on that to get home, but otherwise would be fine. Still can’t see it happening tho.

Calzaghe v Kessler was November in the early hours.

mickey1975 wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 14:45

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 13:13 Millenium Stadium could definitely host it, got a proper roof and smack bang in the city centre. Still wouldn’t be any public transport running so not ideal for people relying on that to get home, but otherwise would be fine. Still can’t see it happening tho.

Calzaghe v Kessler was November in the early hours.

Oh yeah, I vaguely remember it starting about 1am? I was hammered that night so don’t have the best recollection of it, but was definitely a late one.

tony1234 wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 14:04 Somehow I think this is one of those fights that never happens

I actually couldn't care if it ever happens

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 16:58

mickey1975 wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 14:45

Boxerbeetle wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 13:13 Millenium Stadium could definitely host it, got a proper roof and smack bang in the city centre. Still wouldn’t be any public transport running so not ideal for people relying on that to get home, but otherwise would be fine. Still can’t see it happening tho.

Calzaghe v Kessler was November in the early hours.

Oh yeah, I vaguely remember it starting about 1am? I was hammered that night so don’t have the best recollection of it, but was definitely a late one.

I was there in a similar state so can't help. I don't recall crying about it but I was nearly 20 years younger.

Given that the numbers obviously don’t add up I don’t understand why Turki is seemingly so keen to pay Fury and AJ way above market value for this fight. It’s not as if there’s a huge clamour for it to happen from the fans.

CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 19:20 Given that the numbers obviously don’t add up I don’t understand why Turki is seemingly so keen to pay Fury and AJ way above market value for this fight. It’s not as if there’s a huge clamour for it to happen from the fans.

1. Money is no object (currently).

2. He has a massive ego and wants to show off by staging what he perceives as the biggest fight possible.

If Itauma does a real number on Hrg then AJ vs Fury quickly loses appeal as the mad rush to get Itauma all the belts would get frenzied.

This fight has Khan V Brook vibes imo. Almost guaranteed to disappoint.

Frostieballs wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 20:11

CaptainSpacerod wrote: ↑10 Jul 2026, 19:20 Given that the numbers obviously don’t add up I don’t understand why Turki is seemingly so keen to pay Fury and AJ way above market value for this fight. It’s not as if there’s a huge clamour for it to happen from the fans.

1. Money is no object (currently).

2. He has a massive ego and wants to show off by staging what he perceives as the biggest fight possible.

3. Netflix want the biggest possible viewing figures/new subscribers.

Principality Stadium bosses would be 'delighted to host' Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury

Principality Stadium officials have volunteered to host the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury contest should their counterparts at Wembley Stadium fail to comply with the wishes of Turki Alalshikh and Netflix.

The heavyweight bout, between two British superstars, needs to start at prime time in the US to boost audience figures which would mean the opening bell being struck in the middle of the night in the UK.

Wembley officials have not confirmed if a start time of 2am or later will be possible. The London venue's curfew currently stands at 11pm.

However, should the organizers wish to consider Cardiff as an option then the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) - owners of the stadium - have stated they can oblige.

"We'd be delighted to host this fight," a WRU spokesperson told Sky Sports and the BBC.

"We are very keen to attract more boxing to the stadium which has a rich history in the sport, enhanced by its closable roof, unrivalled sight lines and unique city centre location."

Should the showdown land in Cardiff, it would mark Joshua's third outing in the impressive stadium. He defeated Carlos Takam there in 2017 and Joseph Parker the following year.

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/1 ... e-an-issue