Turki Alalshikh Proposes Controversial Fury vs Joshua Ringwalk Time

Anthony Joshua Getty Images for Netflix

Turki Alalshikh Proposes Controversial Fury vs Joshua Ringwalk Time

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Terrance Biggs | Last updated Jul 9, 2026 11:23 AM ET

For as long as international boxing has existed, time considerations outside the venue rarely mattered. The audience in the country in which the fight took place generally took precedence over those watching abroad.

Turki Alalshikh sees the fight game differently. From scheduling fights in the shadow of the Egyptian pyramids to making Saudi Arabia a premier boxing destination, he's now decided to flip the script some more.

The Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight could be one of the biggest fights in the history of the United Kingdom. Two former champions whose eras run concurrently are finally set to face each other.

On top of serving as a possible record-breaking fight, Alalshikh just announced a move that will resonate with American fans as well. Despite not featuring a US-born fighter, he plans to have the main event start at a time more suitable to the American audience.

IMAGO / PA Image

Turki Alalshikh proposes 2am main event in UK

The curfew in and around Wembley is 11 p.m. in London, which is currently five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. A 2 a.m. local ringwalk time would present a 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST time for fans in the United States.

This bold move will eliminate the afternoon viewing time in the United States, which tends to attract a smaller audience for a variety of reasons and affects the overall outcome.

However, it also creates some challenges in the UK regarding logistics and convincing local officials to grant a curfew waiver to enable the fight to take place.

Turki Alalshikh suggests a 2am ringwalk for the anticipated Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight to align with his vision to cater to the American audience and network subscribers.

The current curfew at the desired location, Wembley Stadium, is 11pm local time. pic.twitter.com/PYZyFgbY9y
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 9, 2026

Fury is a massively marketable and profitable fighter in the US due to his trilogy against Deontay Wilder. Despite the "hometown fighter" losing the series, Fury's toughness and slick defense earned him national praise.

Plus, he was the first fighter to stand toe-to-toe with the hard-punching Wilder and not flinch. Those fights, held in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, cemented Fury as a fan favorite, even though he isn't American.

Recently, Joshua earned a bit of American respect as well. His six-round humbling destruction of YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul earned him fans as well. People flocked to Netflix to watch Joshua knockout Paul, breaking the opponent's jaw and thrilling the masses.

While American fans appear pleased with the time change, British boxing fans took to social media to voice their visceral anger. A percentage of the demographic feels like Alalshikh has forsaken them for the American dollar. The Joshua-Fury fight could be the first of many superfights outside America that still cater to US time zones.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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