Anthony Joshua has today (Thursday) pencilled in two fights for London’s Wembley Stadium, with the first set to be held on September 22.
The second fight has been scheduled for April 13, which will mark Joshua’s third Wembley event following his win over Wladimir Klitschko last April. That fight attracted 90,000 people, a record in post-war Britain.
Joshua’s opponent for the September fight has not been confirmed but it is expected to be Russia’s Alexander Povetkin. A possible showdown against Deontay Wilder remains in the pipeline for next April.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to introduce measures to ensure that both fights go ahead without restrictions on Wembley’s 90,000 capacity. Khan has worked with Transport for London to postpone planned engineering works and provide additional staff for the fights.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’ promoter, tweeted earlier today that the September fight will be staged in front of a capacity crowd of 90,000, with the April bout expected to be attended by more than 100,000 people.
Khan said: “That incredible night last year when Anthony Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in front of a record crowd will go down as one of our city’s greatest sporting events.
“I am absolutely delighted that Wembley is set to host these next two chapters of AJ’s remarkable career. We have once again worked closely with Transport for London to make sure this can happen and to allow for tens of thousands of boxing fans to travel to Wembley Stadium for the fights.
“I have pledged to bring the biggest bouts in world boxing to London and these epic showdowns will cement London’s reputation as the best city in the world for top-class sport.”
Since defeating Klitschko at Wembley, Joshua has recorded victories over Carlos Takam and Joseph Parker at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Image: M(e)ister Eiskalt
