Sadiq Khan Pushes for Fury-Joshua Showdown at Wembley
London’s mayor has stepped directly into the heavyweight arena, urging promoters to bring the long-awaited Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua showdown to Wembley Stadium as the battle over the venue sharpens.
Sadiq Khan says he is “really keen” for the all-British blockbuster to land at the national stadium and has publicly thrown open the door to organisers.
“A message to the promoters – we want to host it in London. Talk to us, we’re really keen to have it,” Khan told BBC Sport on Thursday, making his most pointed play yet for a fight many in British boxing have craved for years.
Behind the scenes, there has been movement. BBC Sport understands Saudi organisers Sela have already contacted the mayor’s office in recent weeks to explore the prospect of staging the bout at Wembley. The interest is real. The problem is the competition.
New York’s Madison Square Garden has emerged as the preferred option for organisers and broadcaster Netflix for a proposed November date, and sources close to discussions say talks over a London staging have stalled. No detailed negotiations over dates, kick-off times or logistics have taken place for Wembley, leaving the capital playing catch-up in a race it had hoped to dominate.
Khan, though, is refusing to let the opportunity drift across the Atlantic without a fight.
He has previously indicated he would support efforts to bring Fury-Joshua to London, even if it means pushing Wembley beyond its usual limits. The stadium’s standard curfew is 23:00, but a mega-fight of this scale, especially with Netflix involved and the US market in mind, would likely require a late start – potentially in the early hours – to maximise American television audiences.
That is where the politics and paperwork begin.
Brent Council, the local authority responsible for any approval, has already made clear that any extension to the curfew would have to go through Wembley’s safety advisory group. Crowd management, transport, policing, local impact – all of it would be scrutinised before a green light. For now, it remains unclear how far that curfew could realistically be pushed back.
What is not in doubt is the mayor’s desire to keep this fight on home soil.
“Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are two great British boxers. Both have been world champions,” Khan said. “They both recognise and love the fans in this country who have supported them throughout their careers, amateur and professional.
“Wembley has hosted many fantastic events, including bouts involving Tyson and Anthony. We, the fans, want to see them box live in London.”
Those words tap into a wider feeling among British fight fans. Wembley has already staged huge nights for both men. Joshua has headlined there in front of vast crowds; Fury has shared the stage at the national stadium too. An undisputed showdown – or even a legacy-defining clash between the two – would be the natural culmination of a decade of heavyweight nights under the arch.
Yet the modern fight game rarely runs on romance alone. Saudi investment and American broadcast priorities have reshaped the sport’s landscape, and this contest is no different. With Netflix involved and Madison Square Garden on the table, the lure of New York – the history, the time zone, the commercial pull – remains powerful.
There is still hope inside the sport that the venue question will not drag on much longer. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said he wants an announcement this week, with a full news conference pencilled in for next week once the deal is locked in.
Sela has been contacted by BBC Sport for comment, but for now the picture is clear enough: London has made its pitch, the mayor has gone public, and Wembley is ready to stretch itself for a generational fight.
The next move belongs to the powerbrokers. Do they chase the bright lights of Manhattan, or give British boxing the homecoming it has been shouting for?
