Arab News | Fury and Joshua finally face off in London ahead of Cardiff showdown

LONDON: Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua finally came face to face in London on Wednesday as the build-up began for their long-awaited heavyweight fight on Dec. 11 in Cardiff.

 

Fans and media gathered at the British Airways ARC at Olympia for the first press conference between the two former world champions, who will meet at Principality Stadium.

 

The evening began in a relatively relaxed mood, but the exchanges became sharper as the two spoke about their history and an old sparring session.

 

Joshua claimed Fury left that session with a black eye, while Fury disputed his version of events. There were further lighter moments but both made clear they expect a serious contest.

 

They will finally meet after years of failed negotiations and speculation over whether the fight would happen. The all-British contest will be streamed globally on Netflix.

 

Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, also present in London, was praised for helping to organize the fight.

 

“Credit is not mine. There’s a great man behind me, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” Alalshikh said.

 

Wednesday’s press conference followed several days of discussion around the promotional setup of the event, including the involvement of UFC chief Dana White, who was not present.

 

The event ended with the two heavyweights facing off for the cameras, with Alalshikh between them, holding a specially designed “The Battle of Britain” belt.