Anthony Joshua Accepts Major Pay Cut to Secure Tyson Fury Fight in UK

The much-anticipated superfight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua is finally confirmed. Fans in the UK will see this battle unfold at the Principality Stadium on December 11, avoiding earlier rumors of a New York venue.

For Joshua, choosing to fight in the UK means giving up a significant payday he could have earned if the bout happened in the United States. The decision prioritizes hosting one of British boxing’s biggest fights on home soil, despite the financial hit.

A Long Journey to This Moment

The story of these two fighters potentially facing off has dragged on for years. Back in April 2017, when Joshua climbed to the top by defeating Wladimir Klitschko to unify belts, Fury was struggling with mental health issues and absent from the ring.

A deal was nearly done for a late-2020 fight after Fury claimed the WBC title and Joshua regained his belts. But legal battles involving Deontay Wilder forced delays, blocking the showdown at both boxers’ peaks.

Since then, the allure of the fight faded. Joshua lost twice to Oleksandr Usyk, losing all his belts, then won three against less notable opponents. Fury had a contentious win over former UFC champ Francis Ngannou but then suffered consecutive losses to Usyk.

With no belts on the line and both fighters’ reputations diminished, interest might have waned. During this time, Joshua also endured a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois.

But after Fury beat Mariusz Wach and Joshua scored a dramatic second-round knockout of Kristian Prenga, the fight date and UK venue were set, thrilling British fans.

The Financial Sacrifice

Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn reportedly insisted the fight stay in the UK, even if that meant a smaller purse. Hearn revealed that Joshua gave up around £10 million ($13 million) to make it happen.

“People started saying, ‘please bring the fight to the UK,’ and AJ started feeling that.To keep it in the UK, he's got to turn down eight figures plus. AJ goes to me, ‘whatever you think,’ and I'm like, ‘no, no, no, it's your money. I can't make that decision for you.’He asks, ‘what [do you] think I should do?’ and I told him I think the UK is where the fight should be because there's an edge for him to have this fight in the UK, but it's a lot of money. And he went, ‘f*** it, we'll do it in the UK.’”

On top of that, Turki Alalshikh mentioned at the press conference that shifting the event from New York to Cardiff caused a total loss estimated at £53 million ($70 million).

Timing Challenges for Fans

UK fans aren't getting everything their way. Organizers want the fight to start after midnight local time to maximize American TV viewers. Still, this timing is far better than what it would have been if the fight took place in the U.S., where UK fans often face 3 or 4 a.m. kickoffs.