Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury Heavyweight Boxing Match Set for December 2023 in Riyadh

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, two of Britain's biggest boxing stars, will finally face off in a highly anticipated heavyweight match in December 2023. The fight was officially announced at a press conference in London and will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of the Riyadh Season events.

Key figures from the boxing world were present at the announcement, including promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn. Joshua's new coach Ben Davison was also in attendance. The co-main event between Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang was confirmed for the same card.

The fight between Joshua and Fury has been in the works for a long time, but various obstacles have delayed it from happening. Both fighters have expressed their strong desire to make the match a reality. Joshua recently scored an impressive second-round knockout victory over Francis Ngannou and appeared to make a gesture towards Fury, who was sitting ringside.

Before the Joshua vs. Fury bout can take place, Fury is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk on May 18th in Riyadh. The winner of that fight will be crowned the first undisputed heavyweight champion in 24 years. Fury currently holds the WBC title, while Usyk is the unified WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO champion.

A new undisputed heavyweight championship belt was unveiled ahead of the Fury vs. Usyk fight by Turki Al-Sheikh, the Saudi adviser instrumental in bringing high-profile boxing to the kingdom. The unique belt will be awarded to the winner who emerges as the undisputed king of the division.

Fury last fought in October, winning a controversial decision over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh. Usyk's most recent bout was in August when he stopped Daniel Dubois to retain his collection of titles. Ngannou, who lost his boxing debut to Fury, is now slated to face Joshua in Riyadh in March before the British megafight at the end of the year.

Why this matters: The Joshua vs. Fury fight will be one of the biggest boxing matches in recent years, pitting two British heavyweight stars against each other to determine supremacy in the division. The event is expected to generate huge global interest and will be a major sporting spectacle for Saudi Arabia as it continues to attract top-tier boxing.

With Joshua and Fury on a collision course, the heavyweight landscape is set for a seismic shift in 2023. "This fight has been a long time coming," said promoter Eddie Hearn. "Both guys want it badly and now we finally have a date and location locked in. The whole world will be watching when AJ and Fury step into the ring in Riyadh." As anticipation builds, fans can look forward to a historic night of boxing when two British heavyweights battle it out for ultimate bragging rights and a legacy-defining victory.

Key Takeaways

• Joshua and Fury to fight in heavyweight match in Riyadh, Dec 2023.
• Fury to face Usyk on May 18th in Riyadh for undisputed heavyweight title.
• Ngannou to fight Joshua in Riyadh in March before Joshua-Fury bout.
• New undisputed heavyweight championship belt to be awarded to Fury-Usyk winner.
• Joshua-Fury fight expected to generate huge global interest and be a major spectacle.