Now that the main event is signed, the undercard to support Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is beginning to take shape.
‘AJ’ and Fury have been on a long and frustrating collision course, with an eventual meeting never guaranteed after numerous failed attempts to make it happen.
With the backing of boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, broadcaster Netflix and no title politics, mandatory challengers or rematch obligations, the two former heavyweight champions from the UK will finally face off in Cardiff on December 11.
Though attempts to stage the fight in the US fell short and Joshua’s contract for it to take place in the UK was ultimately honoured, it is understood that Saudi Arabia’s SELA and Netflix are still keen on American names featuring on the card in order for a wider global appeal come fight night.
The best example of gaining worldwide attention is the attempt to secure Manny Pacquiao as co-main event, with news on how those talks ended expected in the coming weeks.
Promoter Eddie Hearn, who has represented Joshua since his professional debut in 2013, recently told IFL TV that the rest of the card is up for grabs and that he will be putting forward a number of fighters from his Match room stable as options.
One of those in-house scraps would be between heavyweights Andy Ruiz Jr. and Dave Allen.
“What about Andy Ruiz against Dave Allen? Why not? [We could make that] easy.”
Ruiz Jr famously defeated Joshua against the odds in 2019 to become unified world champion. ‘AJ’ had initially been booked to fight Jarrell Miller before failed doping tests ruled him out. Late replacement Ruiz produced a memorable stoppage inside seven rounds.
The Mexican-American’s run as champion ended six months later in the rematch, where a safety-first Joshua took a unanimous decision win and his belts back.
Ruiz signed with Hearn earlier this year, but lost his first fight in the deal to Damien Knyba. He has been linked with fan-favourite Allen since, with the Doncaster man looking for one last major fight before retirement.
