Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: What you need to know

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have signed to fight each other with, for the first time ever, an actual date, venue and even a poster. The two mega-stars have dominated headlines in the sport for over a decade and should have got it on years ago, but we finally have the bout fans have dreamt of seeing for so long. Both have held multiple world titles throughout their careers, but there won't be any belts on the line this time. Fury and Joshua will both participate in a news conference on Sept. 30 at British Airways Arc in London. Here is everything you need to know about the announcement. Why is it in Cardiff? London, Saudi Arabia, Las Vegas, New York, London again and finally ... Cardiff. This fight has almost landed in several locations, but it will be held in the Welsh capital at the Principality Stadium, which has a capacity of 80,000 and, crucially, a roof. The rightful home for this fight is London's Wembley Stadium but after several months of talks and negotiations, Cardiff has been chosen for a variety of reasons. The first being Joshua's apparent determination for the event to be hosted in the UK. Promoter Eddie Hearn has gone on record saying Joshua had it written into his contract that the fight be in Britain. He could have, according to Hearn, taken more money to fight in the United States. Saudi Arabian promotional company Sela and broadcaster Netflix -- who are putting the money up -- had been intent on New York's Madison Square Garden hosting the fight in order to maximise a global audience. It appeared to be heading that way as recently as last month. However, Hearn and Joshua stood firm, enforcing the original contract signed earlier this year, holding out for the event to be held on British soil. London Mayor Sadiq Khan even added his voice to the calls for the fight to return to its spiritual homeland. Cardiff won the race thanks in part to the Welsh government extending the venue's curfew time. Legendary Welsh fighter and two-division champion Joe Calzaghe fought Mikkel Kessler in the early hours of the morning at the stadium in 2007, so there was precedent. In the end, the logistics and curfew extension just didn't work for Wembley Stadium, especially as the fight will be held in the depths of winter. The Principality Stadium's roof is a welcome asset for fans and the fighters. Why on a Friday, and what's the start time? Unlike most boxing matches this won't happen on a Saturday night, it will be on a Friday. Netflix has previously had success with boxing on a Friday with Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. Friday Dec. 11 also avoids a conflict with three TKO-backed shows on Saturday Dec. 12 -- two for WWE, one for UFC. The start time is unconfirmed but it is expected that the fight will begin later than it traditionally would, in local time. However, Hearn has said it will be earlier than 3 a.m. BST (10 p.m. ET). Even so, fans in the UK should prepare for a late night to accommodate a worldwide TV audience. Why did the fight take so long to make? How long have you got? You could write a chunky book on negotiations over the years for this fight. At least now (touch wood) it will have a satisfying ending. Egos, money, pettiness, mandatories, broadcasters, contractual disputes. The list goes on. The fight has been "signed" or "agreed" several times over the years, but one issue or another always came up. A two-fight deal had been agreed in 2021 only for the WBC to order Fury to fight Deontay Wilder for a third time. The ultimate reason is those involved never got round the same table and said "let's just get this done." It's a shame, and there will hopefully be some regret and lessons learned. Fury is now 38-years-old, Joshua will be 37 when they fight. They are past their primes. As for why it's happening now, they've both pretty much run out of options. Having both lost twice to Usyk, the Brits have few other big fights to turn to. No other fight would ever have as much interest (or cash) as a clash between them anyway. What is at stake? While at one point this could have been for the unified championship and the status as the best heavyweight on the planet, that is far from the case now. They are both past their primes and younger fighters have climbed above them in various rankings. However, nobody else in British boxing -- or heavyweight boxing, for that matter -- has anything close to the star power of Fury and Joshua. There is still plenty on the line. The winner will establish themselves as the best British heavyweight of his generation and have huge bragging rights. These two have been going at it (verbally) for years. They both fancy themselves as the best heavyweight from their homeland of the last 15 years and the face of UK boxing. They've both carried the sport on their shoulders for so long. Now we get to see who finishes on top. Do fans care? There is a cynical attitude (from people on social media, at least) that "nobody cares anymore." That simply isn't the case. People remain passionate about this event. It will sell out. People will travel from far and wide to see it. People care. There is simply too much curiosity about how it all plays out. Any true British boxing fan who says they have no interest is telling fibs. As soon as we see them on the top table for the first time, this fight will blow up. Everyone has the fighter they want to win. Everyone will have their say. Is it as big as it could have been? Of course not. Is there some resentment that it's taken this long? Yes. Will it still get the juices flowing? Absolutely. There's also the sideshow of the promoters. Dana White has been listed as a partner of Turki Alalshikh in promoting the fight with Ring Magazine, something Hearn instantly disputed. "For more than a decade, boxing fans have been clamoring for the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua," White said in a statement. "Together, they bring 66 wins, 52 knockouts and multiple heavyweight world titles into the ring. On Dec. 11, two of the biggest heavyweights of this generation finally collide -- and the winner will take a significant place in heavyweight history." The two promoters have been going at it in the media for months now and there is a strong rivalry between them, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Is it still a good fight? Let's hope so and, with one this personal, it should be. These guys are both alphas who won't take a backwards step at any stage, be it during the build-up or in the ring. Joshua is rarely in a boring fight. He's either flooring opponents or getting dropped himself. His attitude is very much roll the dice and see how we go, knowing he has the power to knock anyone out if he connects. Some say Fury hasn't been the same since the third Wilder fight, but showed he still has his incredible boxing ability across two close fights with Oleksandr Usyk. It's hard to think those were two years ago now and while he may have slowed down, it's clear he has remained in the gym for the most part, with two fights this year to shake off any rust after ending his year long 2025 retirement. Joshua climbed off the canvas to knockout Kristian Prenga in July, which exposed both his weakness and the power he still possesses.