A statement, and a change of direction
Wembley is back on the table. Eddie Hearn said so himself a few hours ago, in a short post that landed while most of British boxing was still arguing about New York.
The Matchroom chairman thanked fans for their support, told them they had been heard, and confirmed that talks had reopened for the national stadium. He signed off by calling it one of the biggest sporting moments Britain has ever staged.
Madison Square Garden had emerged as the preferred venue, and that is exactly where the negotiation stalled. Joshua’s camp never moved from its position that the fight belongs in the United Kingdom. Fury spent the week telling anyone who would listen that Joshua was stalling, labelling him a coward on social media and accusing him of conning boxing fans. Sky Sports has asked Frank Warren, Fury’s promoter, for a response.
Try it for $0.99.
City Hall gets involved
The unusual part is who moved the needle. Sadiq Khan went on Sky Sports News on Thursday evening and aimed his appeal at the promoters rather than the fighters, saying he understood the pull of Madison Square Garden and the money attached to it, but that the fans are in London.
The Mayor put a number on it too: 100,000 people inside the stadium, with millions more watching worldwide. He said Hearn had already approached City Hall for help, and that his office was keen to work with Matchroom.
Hearn confirmed on DAZN that the two men spoke on Friday. The sticking point had been Wembley’s curfew, which became a problem once Netflix pushed for a later start to suit the American audience. According to Hearn, Khan came back and told him London would move heaven and earth to host the fight.
Two fighters still waiting
Both men last boxed in July. Joshua stopped Kristian Prenga in the second round but hit the canvas twice himself in the first, which did nothing to quiet the questions about him. Fury needed seven rounds to see off Mariusz Wach.
Neither night settled anything, and neither did much for the argument that this fight still needs to happen at the earliest opportunity. Nothing has been signed. The venue is only one of the numbers involved.
Discover the rest of our Boxing news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply