Promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that the upcoming fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will likely break the record number of spectators at Wembley Stadium for a sporting event. The British pair will face each other for the IBF World Heavyweight Championship in an anticipated meeting on September 21.
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois before the fight
Dubois won the interim IBF title by knocking out Filip Hrgovic in the eighth round earlier this month, when the Croatian fighter suffered an eye injury. Hrgovic may have won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, but Dubois proved too strong on a fateful night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Dubois was elevated to official IBF world champion status earlier this week when Oleksandr Usyk voluntarily vacated the title, rather than face the Greenwich puncher. The event offers Joshua the opportunity to become a three-time world champion at the national stadium later this year.
A massive all-British fight like Joshua vs Dubois has inspired Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn to make a confident prediction on ticket sales. Tyson Fury currently holds the record for the number of spectators attending a sporting event at Wembley Stadium with 94,000 people watching him defeat Dillian Whyte in April 2022.
In an interview with MMA Hour, Hearn asserted that this September’s fight will break that record. When asked by Ariel Helwani about the expected audience number, Hearn said:
“100,000 people. This is a Riyadh Season event, but this is the fourth time we’ve promoted a show at Wembley. Carl Froch vs George Groves was the first, there were 80,000 people in attendance. Joshua Klitschko , 90,000, and 80,000 for Joshua vs Alexander Povetkin. I expect his excellence to push the number to 100,000.
If the fight between Joshua and Dubois sells out all 100,000 tickets, fans will witness an exciting main event, although it may not last long. Both fighters possess incredible power in their punches and both have significant ability to knock out their opponents, with a total of 45 knockouts between them in their careers.
