The issues surrounding the location for the Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fight continue to develop.

Long-term rivals Joshua and Fury are finally set to collide later this year, provided that both men can successfully come through interim bouts this month.

Fury is set to face Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday 24 Julybefore Joshua then meets Kristian Prenga 24 hours later in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Attention will then turn to the heavyweight battle between the two British stars, but reports in recent weeks suggested that the chances of the fight actually taking place in the UK were slim due to broadcaster Netflix wanting to appeal to a US audience.

Las Vegas emerged as the frontrunner for the boutwhich drew plenty of criticism from fans who insisted that the bout should be taking place in Britain.

A potential lifeline has now emerged, after Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh revealed that the bout could take place at Wembley Stadium provided that they are able to stage the fight later in the evening than usual.

“We have also Joshua and Tyson Fury this year. We don’t choose the place until now. I tell you from the beginning, it depends about if England give us all what we need.

“We want the fight here in England but we want the time zone [for] all of the world, especially in America. If they allow us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it here. It’s about the time and the viewership.”

Curfew restrictions mean that fights at Wembley Stadium usually take place at around 10pm, so a major change will be needed if Joshua vs Fury is to have any hope of taking place there.

Despite interest from fans and previous backing from boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, Moses Itauma will almost certainly not have the chance to face Oleksandr Usyk before the Ukrainian retires.

Usyk recently announced that he has vacated all three of his world titles and plans to have just one more fight before hanging up the gloves on a sure-fire Hall of Fame career.

It means that there will be no opportunity for Itauma – very much considered the future of the division – to force a changing of the guard inside the ropes. The fight never did look likely, with Usyk saying that he would ‘break’ Itauma, despite his willingness.

Speaking to IFL TV, Itauma reacted to the news.

“To be fair, he’s earned his stripes. He was [undisputed] cruiserweight and heavyweight champion. At the same time, it made it difficult for all of us. But, now that they’re all separated, we can start collecting some.

On the reports that the Ukrainian’s final fight will come against Deontay Wilderthe young Brit was less forgiving but says he understands the motivation.

“Who’d want to watch that? Fair enough, he’s achieved more than I have, so I can’t say nothing … He wants the paper. You’ve got to remember, when Usyk was a cruiserweight and in his early heavyfights fights, he wasn’t making as much money as he in these last couple of years. I don’t blame him. He’s from a country where boxing isn’t as publicised as the UK or US, and I don’t blame him for making the most out of what he’s got.”

Finally, asked if he was disappointed that they will never share the ring, Itauma said:

“He’s not really my generation, so I’m not too bothered. Having fought [some] people in the generation before me, that’s a blessing.”

What Usyk’s decision does do is move Itauma one step closer to becoming a heavyweight champion at 21. Next month, he faces world-level contender Filip Hrgovicwith a win cementing his status as WBO mandatory challenger for Daniel Dubois as well as keeping an opportunity to fight Frank Sanchez for the vacant IBF title alive.

“This is for you. We also have Joshua and Tyson Fury this year. We don’t choose the place until now,” said Alalshikh.

“I tell you from the beginning. It depends about England. Give us all what we need. We want the fight here in England, but we want the time zone of all the world, especially in America.

“If they allow us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England. Now it’s about the time and the viewership. Yes, and the subscribers. We talk to the mayors and Prince Abdullah will try to help and the taxi of London will push.”

Alalshikh’s latest comments suggest the negotiations have shifted away from finding a stadium and toward solving the logistical challenge of television scheduling.

A traditional evening start at Wembley would air in the afternoon across much of the United States, while a later start would place the main event in a far more valuable American prime-time window. With the fight expected to attract one of the largest global audiences in boxing, maximizing international viewership has become a central part of the discussions.

Turki Alshikh has said he would like Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury to take place at Wembley IF the timing works! ⌚ pic.twitter.com/vulS8HP6xt

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) July 6, 2026

Alalshikh also revealed that talks are planned with London officials as his team works to secure the necessary approvals.

Before any deal can be finalized, both heavyweights have business to take care of. Joshua returns against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah on July 25, while Fury meets veteran Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24. Victories for both would clear the path for the long-awaited all-British heavyweight showdown later this year.