Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua won’t take place in UK unless strict rule is changed, insists Turki Alalshikh

Tyson Fury’s blockbuster heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua is at the mercy of local authorities if it is to take place at Wembley.

Turki Alalshikh, who is organising the all-British bout, revealed he needs the green light to stage the fight at a later time to satisfy global audiences before he allows London to serve as host.

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Fury v Joshua has been tentatively pencilled for the back end of the year, but an official date or location is yet to be confirmed.

The SiFO Stadium in Los Angeles and Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena have already been touted as potential venues.

However, fans have expressed anger that a heavyweight fight of this magnitude between two Brits would be taken across the pond.

Will Fury v Joshua be held at Wembley?

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealed last month that AJ’s meeting with Fury is contractually bound to take place in the UK.

Alalshikh confirmed the dream plan is still to take over Wembley, but only if the fight is allowed to take place at a later time than usual.

The Saudi boxing chief also revealed that he intends to discuss such a possibility during talks with the London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

“This is for you,” Alalshikh said at an event in the capital. “We have also Joshua and Tyson Fury this year. We don’t choose the place until now.

“I tell you from the beginning, it depends about if England give us all what we need.

“We want the fights here in England, but we want the time zone and the time zone of all the world, especially in America.

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“Also, if they allowed us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England,” Alalshikh added.

“Okay, now it is about the time and the viewership, and the subscribers.

“We’ll talk with the Mayors and Prince Abdullah (bin Khaled bin Sultan).”

‘I’m sure the UK will try to help?’ was posed to Alalshikh, who replied, “Yeah, try to help, and maybe the taxpayers of London will push.”

Main event fights typically get underway between 10pm and 11pm, with premier US markets, LA and Las Vegas, eight hours behind.

Alalshikh is appearing to suggest that he is hoping to convince London authorities to extend the curfew beyond midnight instead.

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TalkSport

The reveal comes mere days after Simon Jordan had dismissed Eddie Hearn’s claim that Joshua’s team controls the Fury fight venue,

Instead, the former Crystal Palace chairman said while speaking on talkSPORT that the final decision rests with Alalshikh.

“My view is that wherever Turki decides, despite Eddie’s load of old [talk] about a contract that determines where it’s going to be, who determines where it’s going to be is Turki Alalshikh and what he wants,” Jordan told talkBOXING.

“The scale of the fight is going to be dwarfed by what he thinks, what he’s prepared to pay the two fighters,” Jordan continued.

“It’s not going to generate it from the broadcasters, and it’s not going to generate it from the gate seats.”

“Without Turki Alalshikh and Sela and the Saudi money, the economics of this fight are completely different,” Adam Booth said.

“He’s the money in the room, and he can determine it, and he can say what he wants to say because he’s paying for the right to do so.”