The biggest all-British heavyweight fights before Joshua vs Fury
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally meet on Friday 11 December at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. With the date confirmed, the Fury v Joshua odds are now live for a fight British boxing spent years trying to make. Domestic heavyweight rivalries have produced some of the country’s biggest fight nights, and these five set the bar Cardiff now has to clear.
Henry Cooper v Joe Bugner, 1971
On 16 March 1971, Henry Cooper put his British, European and Commonwealth titles on the line against the Hungarian-born Joe Bugner at Wembley’s Empire Pool. The fight went the full 15 rounds, and referee Harry Gibbs, the only official scoring it, gave the decision to Bugner by a quarter of a point.
The crowd booed the verdict, and Cooper announced his retirement shortly afterwards. Decades later, Bugner admitted that he believed Cooper had deserved the win.
Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno, 1993
The first world heavyweight title fight between two British-born boxers took place at Cardiff Arms Park on 1 October 1993. Lewis was defending his WBC belt, while Bruno was making his third attempt at a world title after defeats to Tim Witherspoon in 1986 and Mike Tyson in 1989.
Because of American television schedules, the first bell did not ring until the early hours of 2 October. It was also the first world heavyweight title fight staged in Wales. Lewis stopped Bruno in the seventh round to keep his title.
Anthony Joshua v Dillian Whyte, 2015
Joshua and Whyte met at the O2 Arena in London on 12 December 2015, with the vacant British title and Joshua’s Commonwealth belt at stake. Whyte had beaten Joshua as an amateur in 2009, and the bad blood boiled over early, as the first round ended in a scuffle after the bell.
Whyte became the first professional opponent to take Joshua past the third round. Joshua stopped him in the seventh to become British champion.
Tyson Fury v Dillian Whyte, 2022
Whyte got his world title shot at Wembley Stadium on 23 April 2022, in front of a crowd reported at 94,000. He arrived as the WBC’s interim champion, but Fury, defending the full WBC heavyweight title, controlled the fight from the opening round.
The finish came in the sixth. A right uppercut put Whyte down, and although he got back to his feet, referee Mark Lyson waved the fight off.
Anthony Joshua v Daniel Dubois, 2024
Two years later, Wembley set a new benchmark. Organisers said 96,000 spectators attended Joshua’s challenge for Dubois’ IBF title on 21 September 2024, a post-war record for a boxing event in Britain. Dubois had been elevated to full champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
Dubois dropped Joshua in the first round and finished the fight 59 seconds into the fifth round, landing a left hook and then a right that sent Joshua down for the count.
Fury v Joshua and the road back to Cardiff
The Principality Stadium was built on the site of the old National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park, where Lewis and Bruno fought in 1993. That means the biggest all-British heavyweight fight of this era will take place on the same ground as the first world title fight between two British heavyweights.
Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn pushed for Cardiff as the venue, and Joshua had insisted on a UK date in his original contract. For fans who plan to bet on the fight, markets are open ahead of the first bell on 11 December, which will be broadcast on Netflix.
