Promoter Eddie Hearn has announced that talks have reopened to stage the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight at Wembley Stadium, reviving hopes that the long-awaited British heavyweight showdown could take place in London.
Negotiations for the fight had hit a major stumbling block after Madison Square Garden in New York emerged as the preferred venue for the bout. Hearn released a statement on social media confirming that Wembley was once again under consideration.
"I want to thank everyone for the unbelievable support!" he wrote. "You have been heard and talks have now re-opened for Wembley. Let's make history with one of the biggest sporting moments Britain has ever seen."
Sky Sports said it had contacted Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, for a response.
Hearn's talks with Sadiq Khan
Speaking on DAZN, Hearn said he had spoken with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, about bringing the fight to Wembley.
"I spoke to Sadiq Khan today, there's a narrative going around that Netflix want the fight to accommodate the American audience a little bit later. I get that, so we could do the fight later in Britain, but everybody is saying 'you can't do that, there's a curfew at Wembley'," Hearn said. "Sadiq Khan has come back and said 'woah guys, we'll move heaven and earth to get this fight in London'."
Wembley Stadium, the national stadium of England, has a capacity of around 90,000 and has previously hosted major British boxing events. Hearn is chairman of Matchroom Boxing, which promotes Joshua, while Warren promotes Fury.
Fury accuses Joshua of stalling
Fury had taken to social media earlier in the week to label Joshua a "coward" and accused him of "conning" boxing fans amid the continued delay to the fight. In a video posted to Instagram, Fury said he would fight anywhere and claimed Joshua did not really want to fight.
Mayor of London urges fight to be held in Britain
Khan spoke to Sky Sports on Thursday evening, urging the fighters' promoters to "get the fight to London."
"I understand the temptation of going to Madison Square Garden," Khan told Sky Sports News. "I understand the temptation of the money and offer, but the fans are here.
"We've been loyal to Tyson and to Anthony. We love them both, and we'd love to see them boxing here in London."
"I'm positive Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua know how much we love both of them. I'm not sure how much the promoters know how much we love both of them, but my message to the promoters is why don't you do what Tyson and Anthony want, which is get the fight in London," Khan said.
He added that London could draw "100,000 people watching them live, plus millions watching across the globe fighting amongst the fans who've loved them from the beginning."
Hearn approached mayor's office for help
Khan also said he had been in direct contact with Hearn, who he said had approached his office for help organising the fight.
"We've hosted some of the biggest boxing events in history in London during my mayoralty," Khan said. "Many British fans are fans of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Many Londoners love both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua recognise the importance of British boxing fans.
"The promoters know we're here to help. We've approached those in the know to say we're here to help. Eddie Hearn has approached us and we're keen to work with Eddie and the team."
Both fighters in recent action
Joshua warmed up for a potential Fury fight with a second-round knockout victory over Kristian Prenga in July, though he was floored twice in the first round of that contest.
Fury also fought in July, sealing a seventh-round stoppage win over Mariusz Wach.
Both men are former world heavyweight champions, and a meeting between them has long been considered one of the most lucrative fights British boxing could produce.
