Fury vs. Joshua start time: last obstacle in the way

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua appear to have cleared the barriers that once made their heavyweight meeting seem impossible.

One issue, however, still lingers, and that is whether Cardiff will permit the fight to begin and end in the middle of the night.

Fury and Joshua are scheduled to meet at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Friday, 11 December, with the main-event ring walk planned for about 01:00 GMT on Saturday, 12 December. 

The late timing is intended to place the bout in prime-time viewing hours for audiences in the United States, where Netflix is broadcasting the event.

The issue is that Principality Stadium normally operates under a 01:00 curfew when its roof is closed. Organizers have asked Cardiff Council to extend the permitted hours so the event can run until 03:00, with the stadium closing at 03:30. That request has produced objections from residents living near the city-center venue. 

Their concerns are not about the boxing itself. They center on what a crowd of tens of thousands leaving a stadium at 03:00 would mean for nearby streets: noise, traffic, litter, crowds, alcohol-related disorder and disturbed sleep. 

Other objections are more forceful. Residents argue that the disruption will not stop when the final bell sounds, pointing to shouting, singing, taxis, vehicles and large groups moving through residential areas in the early hours. 

One objector warned that the combination of late-night drinking and limited transport could create trouble that falls on local streets.

Cardiff Council’s licensing sub-committee is due to consider the application on 25 November. It can approve the extension, amend its conditions, or reject part or all of the request. 

If it refuses, organizers would face an unwelcome choice, which is to move the start earlier, alter the event’s operational plan, or seek another venue.

There is still no indication that the bout will be canceled. Organizers have proposed additional train and bus services, enhanced security, more stewards, and measures intended to manage the crowd after the event. Those proposals may persuade the council that the disruption can be controlled.