Tyson Fury has thrown his support behind Cardiff as the potential venue for his long-awaited heavyweight showdown with fellow Briton Anthony Joshua.
The Principality Stadium is emerging as the leading option for the proposed fight, with Friday, December 11, being discussed as the date for the highly anticipated all-British clash.
Cardiff has reportedly moved ahead of potential venues in New York and the Middle East, while negotiations between the two camps and broadcaster Netflix continue.
An official announcement could be made as early as this week.
Fury appeared to make his preference clear after posting a photograph of himself at the Principality Stadium on Instagram, with a Welsh dragon visible in the background.
“If this fight happens in Wales, this will be amazing. All my mother’s people are from Wales. It will be like a homecoming,” Fury wrote.
Joshua’s contract reportedly requires the bout to take place in the United Kingdom, effectively ruling out Madison Square Garden in New York and potential venues in the Middle East.
The Principality Stadium has subsequently emerged as a strong candidate, particularly because its retractable roof gives organisers greater flexibility compared with Wembley Stadium.
The Cardiff venue already has a connection with Joshua, having hosted his victory over Carlos Takam in 2017 in front of 78,000 spectators.
A Joshua-Fury blockbuster could once again attract a huge crowd to the Welsh capital, although logistical issues surrounding the proposed date remain to be resolved.
Cardiff is expected to be particularly busy around the proposed fight date because of the Christmas shopping period, while several major hotels in the city are reportedly already heavily booked or sold out.
Another potential complication is the Principality Stadium’s 1am curfew. Organisers are understood to be considering a start time that would maximise the fight’s appeal to Netflix’s American audience, potentially pushing the main action into the early hours of the morning in the UK.
Cardiff Council has said no application has yet been submitted to extend the stadium’s curfew. Any such request would reportedly require 28 days to process.
The possibility of staging the fight in Cardiff gained momentum after earlier plans for a Wembley showdown stalled over broadcasting requirements.
Fury’s latest comments now add further weight to the Welsh capital’s growing status as a potential home for one of the most anticipated heavyweight contests in recent years.
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