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Cardiff\'s Principality Stadium has emerged as the leading contender to host the highly anticipated heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, with the fight expected to take place on Friday, December 11.
According to BBC Sport, final details are still being negotiated between Netflix, Saudi Arabian organisers Sela and the camps of both fighters, with an official announcement expected this week.
The bout had previously appeared likely to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York, with plans reportedly being considered for a promotional event in Manhattan.
However, Joshua and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, maintained that the contractual terms governing the former world champion\'s agreement with Sela required the fight to be staged in the United Kingdom.
Fury\'s agreement reportedly did not contain a similar restriction, creating a major obstacle when organisers and Netflix pushed for the event to be held in the United States.
With the British venue requirement ultimately retained, Cardiff emerged as the preferred option, particularly because of the Principality Stadium\'s retractable roof.
The roof would allow organisers to stage a major stadium event in December while protecting spectators and the fighters from potentially poor winter weather. The venue has a seated capacity of almost 74,000 and can accommodate even larger crowds for boxing events.
Joshua has previously fought at the stadium, attracting almost 80,000 spectators for his 2017 victory over Carlos Takam before returning five months later to defeat Joseph Parker.
The Cardiff venue also offers organisers greater flexibility over the timing of the event. Netflix reportedly wants a start time suitable for its United States audience, which could require the main event to take place around 1am UK time.
Wembley Stadium, another potential venue, operates under a 11pm event curfew, making a late-night finish more difficult to accommodate.
The Principality Stadium, however, has experience with late-night boxing. Joe Calzaghe\'s 2007 victory over Mikkel Kessler began at about 2am local time to accommodate the American television market.
The potential Cardiff venue would also keep the fight in Britain, allowing domestic fans to attend what is expected to be one of the biggest boxing events involving British fighters in recent years.
Cardiff has a long history of staging major heavyweight contests. In 1993, Lennox Lewis defended his WBC heavyweight title against Frank Bruno at Cardiff Arms Park, the site on which the Principality Stadium was later built.
With its retractable roof, large capacity and experience hosting late-night boxing, the Cardiff stadium has consequently become the frontrunner for the Fury-Joshua showdown.
