Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is planned for a 1am ring walk at Principality Stadium, according to an application filed with Cardiff Council. The stadium also wants to stay open until 3:30am, which would push the main event into the early hours of Saturday, December 12 UK time, even though the card is billed for Friday, December 11.
Sky Sports reported that the ring walk is slotted to follow a short live music performance. Millennium Stadium plc has applied to extend permitted hours for boxing and wrestling entertainment from a 1am cut-off to 3am on December 12. A council spokesperson said the variation is meant to facilitate the fight “with the ringwalk commencing at 1am.”
The same application asks for live music until 3am, plus recorded music, late-night refreshment and alcohol sales until 3am. The applicants said the roof will stay shut throughout the event, with enhanced security and stewarding in place.
Built for US prime time
One o’clock in Cardiff is 8pm Eastern on Friday night, which lines up with peak US viewing. Sky Sports reported that Turki Alalshikh, Dana White and Netflix originally pushed for Madison Square Garden before Cardiff was announced as the venue. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, told The Independent in August that his side insisted on the fight taking place in the UK.
The fight was made official on September 24 and streams live on Netflix globally at no additional cost to members.
What happens next
A premises licence variation has to be advertised for 28 consecutive days. Members of the public and other authorities can object, or comment in support, until November 3. If no relevant representations come in, the council must grant the application. If objections are made, a hearing follows, and the council could change the licence conditions or refuse the application altogether.
Council leader Chris Weaver said when the fight was announced that licence changes were among the arrangements still to be finalised with the organisers. Until the licence is sorted, the 1am start remains a plan rather than a guarantee. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon UK time through Ticketmaster.
