Fury vs Joshua: Cardiff to host heavyweight fight on 11 December

Until recent weeks, Cardiff had barely been in the conversation. A date at Madison Square Garden was so close that plans were being made for a news conference to announce the fight.

It may not be the Wembley showdown most were hoping for, but the British public has spoken.

For all the talk of Saudi Arabia, Las Vegas and New York, this is a fight that always belonged in Britain. Ultimately, the clamour to stage it at home proved too difficult to ignore.

For years we have debated who would win, watched negotiations collapse and wondered whether the two biggest British heavyweights of their generation would ever actually share a ring.

Even when it was supposedly “signed, sealed and delivered”, it somehow still wasn’t signed or sealed. And far from being delivered.

It appeared the stalemate did not look like being resolved. There were more deadlines, more expletive-laden social media posts from Fury and more conflicting versions of when and where the fight would actually take place. Fury even called out Oleksandr Usyk for a trilogy just days ago.

Even the most hardened boxing fan could have been forgiven for switching off.

In many ways, the past month has been the Fury-Joshua saga of the past decade condensed into a few chaotic weeks.

In 2020 the two sides agreed the basics of a two-fight deal. In 2021 contracts were actually signed for an undisputed fight, only for Deontay Wilder’s successful arbitration case to send Fury into a third fight with the American instead. Then, in 2022, Joshua accepted a 60-40 offer to challenge Fury before that attempt also collapsed.

This time Eddie Hearn kept insisting the fight should take place in Britain for British fans. But this was not purely about the fans – there was a financial reality too. Joshua had signed for a UK fight and moving it to America would have left him worse off because of the tax implications.

However, common sense has prevailed.

There will also be a degree of satisfaction for Hearn. For months Dana White had been cryptic about his involvement, hinting he knew where the fight would take place, while Fury thanked the UFC boss for helping get it over the line.

It would be stretching it to say Hearn has got one over on White – there are far too many parties involved in a deal of this size for that – but he held his ground and ultimately got the venue he wanted.

Britain is where Fury-Joshua belongs. Last week, more than 80,000 Irish fans at Croke Park gave icon Katie Taylor a fitting farewell. That night will live long in the memory of all those that were there.

There are some occasions that are about more than purses, broadcast deals and site fees. Fury against Joshua is one of them.

Generations of British boxing fans have followed every twist, every win, every defeat and every failed negotiation.

It gives those fans the chance to make the trip to Wales and say ‘I was there.’ It gives Britain one of the biggest sporting occasions it can stage, with tens of thousands of supporters descending on the Principality Stadium.

And somewhere in that crowd will be a youngster attending their first fight, watching two of Britain’s most recognisable sportsmen walk out and perhaps deciding they want to lace up a pair of gloves themselves.

Even if it is far too late, that is the kind of legacy Fury-Joshua can still leave.

More to follow.