Eddie Hearn Promises Joshua-Fury Announcement Next Week With Cardiff as Likely Venue
Hearn says the fight will be announced within days, but a lopsided drug-testing deal has already raised eyebrows.
Eddie Hearn says the long-awaited Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury fight will be officially announced next week, with Cardiff's Principality Stadium emerging as the likely venue for a December 11 clash, per Boxing News 24.
"It will be an announcement next week, but I can't tell you if it's Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday," Hearn said. "I would think sooner rather than late." He added that Matchroom rejected American financial offers to keep the fight in Britain, though the exact numbers remain undisclosed.
The Principality Stadium makes sense for a winter fight because of its retractable roof. Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have been ruled out as poor cold-weather venues, per Boxing News 24. The calendar is tight: a late-September or early-October announcement is essentially the deadline for a December date. Slip past that and the fight likely slides into 2027, which historically signals a deal falling apart.
Meanwhile, the drug-testing arrangement is raising questions. A separate Boxing News 24 report revealed that Joshua was contractually locked into drug testing from the moment he signed, while Fury's contract contained no such obligation. "What's in AJ's contract is not necessarily in Tyson Fury's contract," Hearn admitted. "Testing was supposed to start when the original contracts were signed, and it didn't for them."
The mismatched enrollment undermines the testing program's credibility, particularly regarding off-season preparation periods when year-round testing matters most. Both fighters are aging veterans chasing a legacy payday, and critics have questioned whether either is still operating at an elite level. Matchroom retains full promotional control, with TKO and Dana White excluded from participation.
I will believe Joshua-Fury when there is a poster, a date and a venue with a roof on it. Hearn promising an announcement next week without knowing which day is very Eddie Hearn. The good news is the calendar makes it real. Late September or early October is the drop-dead line for December 11, and everybody involved knows what slipping into 2027 has meant for this fight before.
Cardiff is the right call. Retractable roof in December beats Wembley in the rain, and turning down American money to keep it in Britain is the kind of decision the fans will remember.
The testing gap is the part that should bother everybody. AJ was locked into testing from signing. Fury was not, by Hearn's own admission. For a fight this big, with two aging heavyweights chasing a legacy payday, the one thing that should not be negotiable is both guys on the same testing program from day one. Fix that before the announcement, not after.
