After London’s public backing, Turki Alalshikh says approval for a later Wembley start time remains the key issue before the heavyweight fight can be finalized
Turki Alalshikh says Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury is closer to Wembley Stadium, but one obstacle still stands in the way. After London’s public support for hosting the fight, he revealed that approval for a later start time remains unresolved.
After the office of London Mayor Sadiq Khan publicly endorsed the event, Turki responded on X by calling for support on a later start time, saying organizers have so far been unable to get approval.
Hopefully a positive statement from the Mayor of London’s office about a later start time if Fury v Joshua is in London, as so far we have been told it is not possible 🙏🏻
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) July 7, 2026
The mayor’s office had earlier described London as “the sporting capital of the world” and said Khan is working to attract more of the world’s biggest sporting events to the city.
A spokesperson pointed to Wembley’s recent success in staging major boxing cards, including Anthony Joshua’s fight against Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury’s bout with Dillian Whyte, both of which drew crowds of more than 90,000.
“Sadiq has made clear that London would be the perfect place to stage the long-awaited bout between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury and the Mayor stands ready to support ambitions to bring the event to our capital as we build a better London for everyone,” the spokesperson said.
Turki’s latest post suggests the venue itself is not the sticking point. Instead, the focus has shifted to securing permission for a later start time, which would allow the main event to air during prime-time hours in the United States while still taking place in London.
Joshua and Fury are both scheduled to return to the ring later this month. Joshua faces Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, while Fury takes on veteran Mariusz Wach the following day in Pattaya, Thailand. If both emerge victorious, their long-discussed showdown is expected to move a step closer, with Wembley Stadium remaining one of the leading options if the scheduling issue can be resolved.