Holding the fight in London already gives British fans the home-field advantage. By pushing for a later start, organizers are also attempting to preserve a prime-time broadcast in the United States, where the audience and potential revenue are significantly larger than they would be for an afternoon telecast.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has voiced his support for staging the fight in the capital, but Turki has indicated he has been told a 1 a.m. start is currently not possible because of the stadium’s curfew. Discussions are expected to continue as organizers try to reach an agreement.
If Wembley cannot accommodate the requested schedule, Saudi Arabia remains the obvious alternative. Unlike London, there would be no stadium curfew preventing organizers from choosing a start time that suits television audiences around the world.
There has also been speculation about moving the fight to the United States, but that would create its own scheduling challenges. An American venue would likely require an earlier-than-normal main event to avoid forcing UK fans to watch in the early hours of the morning.
Before any venue decision becomes official, both heavyweights still have business to take care of this month. Joshua is scheduled to face Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Saudi Arabia, while Fury is due to return against Mariusz Wach in Thailand one day earlier.
Assuming both come through those bouts, attention is expected to shift quickly toward finalizing one of the biggest heavyweight events in recent British boxing history.
