Photo credit: Facebook/Anthony Joshua
Tickets for the Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fight sold out within an hour of going on sale Friday, Oct. 9. The event will take place at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with approximately 80,000 seats available for the highly anticipated British heavyweight matchup.
Demand surged almost immediately. More than 500,000 people reportedly waited in the online queue after sales opened at noon British Summer Time. Prices ranged from £88.50 to £13,128, including booking fees.
Fury and Joshua tickets attract soaring resale prices
Although the official sale ended quickly, listings soon appeared on resale websites at much higher prices. Some ringside VIP tickets reportedly reached £73,645, while upper tier seats appeared for £425.
The main event is scheduled for the early hours of Saturday, Dec. 12, following the event’s opening bill on Friday, Dec. 11. Organizers expect the fighters to make their ringwalks at around 1 a.m. local time.
Netflix will broadcast the contest globally. However, organizers have yet to announce the undercard fights.
Fury, 38, and Joshua, 36, are both former two time world heavyweight champions. Their long anticipated meeting was announced in September after they signed contracts earlier in the year.
The event brings together The Ring, associated with Saudi boxing figure Turki Alalshikh, and UFC chief Dana White in a joint promotional effort. Reports have also placed the fighters’ combined purse near $200 million, although the final payment details have not been publicly confirmed.
Derek Chisora backs Joshua to win
As excitement builds, heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora has offered his prediction for the contest. Chisora, who has faced Fury three times, expects Joshua to secure the victory.
Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Chisora predicted that Joshua would win decisively. He also expects the contest to end before the final bell, rather than go the full distance.
Chisora’s view adds another talking point to a matchup that has drawn years of attention from boxing fans. Both fighters have faced Oleksandr Usyk, who handed each of them defeats.
However, the result remains uncertain until the rivals meet in the ring. Joshua and Fury have never fought each other professionally, making the December contest a major moment for British heavyweight boxing.
Cardiff prepares for a late night boxing event
The late start is expected to accommodate international television audiences, particularly viewers in the United States. Still, the schedule has prompted concerns among some British fans who would prefer an earlier main event.
Cardiff has hosted major late night boxing before. Joe Calzaghe fought Mikkel Kessler at the same stadium in 2007, with the contest beginning around 1 a.m. local time.
With tickets already sold out, attention now turns to the undercard, the final event arrangements and the fighters’ preparations. Chisora has made his choice, but fans will have to wait until December to see whether Joshua can deliver the result he predicts.
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