Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is finally on the horizon, but British boxing fans might need plenty of coffee to get through the biggest night of the year.
The proposed timetable for their December 11 showdown in Cardiff has raised the prospect of ring walks at around 1am UK time with promoters lodging an application with the local council. Yes, 1am for an all-British fight taking place in Britain. Make it make sense.
Much as we hate the idea, there is an obvious commercial reason behind it. Everything always comes back to money, especially in the prizefighting game.
Why Fury vs Joshua could start at 1am
The American television audience is a massive consideration for an event of this size. A 1am ring walk in Cardiff would mean 8pm on Friday evening in New York and 5pm on the West Coast.
That is attractive for international viewing (Netflix will stream this fight and it has the most global of audiences), but a lot less convenient for supporters attending the stadium. More than 70,000 fans leaving in the early hours raises questions about transport, accommodation and the city centre.
Some of us remember leaving the Manchester Arena at 3am in June 2005 after the late Ricky Hatton’s epic win over Kostya Tszyu, and being forced to board replacement buses home thanks to train chaos. Not again, please.
What time would Fury vs Joshua start in the UK and US?
If the proposed 1am ring walks are approved, the times are shown below. Ring walks are not the opening bell; introductions and final formalities come first. So probably another 10-15 minutes before punches start landing:
| Location | Proposed ring walks |
| UK (GMT) | 1am, Saturday 12 December |
| New York (EST) | 8pm, Friday 11 December |
| Los Angeles (PST) | 5pm, Friday 11 December |
A massive night with an unusual twist
For Fury (36-2-1) and Joshua (30-4), the timing will be a minor detail compared with what is at stake. Both men have experienced painful setbacks during careers which made them two of Britain’s biggest sporting names.
Yet this remains a fight fans have demanded for years. Whether it begins just after midnight or later, millions will want to know which man finally claims the bragging rights. The tickets for this one – priced at anything up to £13,128 each – sold out in just one hour.
The two fighters are each expected to earn north of £100million for one night’s work. And one of them should (assuming we do not get the dreaded draw) become a three-time heavyweight world champion with the WBA ‘super’ title set to be on the line.
