Fury vs Joshua at Wembley hinges on 4am start for US viewers

The proposed heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will only land at Wembley Stadium if local authorities clear a start time as late as 4am GMT, according to Saudi promoter Turki Alalshikh.

Alalshikh, who is orchestrating the all-British bout tentatively set for late 2026, told reporters Monday he plans to meet with the Mayor of London and other officials to negotiate a schedule that works for global television markets. "I tell you from the beginning, it depends if England give us all that we need," he said, per the BBC. "We want the fight here in England, but we want the time zone of all the world, especially in America."

Why a 4am bell time matters for Fury-Joshua deal

A main event at that hour would align with prime time on the East Coast of the United States, where pay-per-view revenue has historically driven mega-fight economics. The model has precedent in Britain: UFC 304 in Manchester last July began its main card at 1am BST to serve American audiences. Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua through Matchroom, confirmed to BBC Sport last month that the current contract stipulates a UK venue, but added that Alalshikh holds final say because "he's paying the bill and the bill is extortionate."

Both fighters have warm-up bouts scheduled before any September clash. Fury, the former WBC champion, meets Poland's Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on 24 July. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga in Riyadh the following day.

Hearn said any attempt to relocate the fight to the United States would require scrapping the existing agreement and starting contract talks from scratch. For now, the Wembley plan stands or falls on whether UK regulators will permit a fight night that stretches into the small hours of the morning.

Source: bbc.co.uk