Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko fight at Wembley Stadium on April 29. PHOTO/SKY.
LONDON, United Kingdom, Jan 27 – Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko will match the British boxing attendance record when they meet in April.
The heavyweight clash between the pair, will also set a Wembley record after it was confirmed capacity for the venue has been increased to 90,000.
London mayor Sadiq Khan brought together officials from Network Rail, Transport for London and Wembley Stadium to ensure a 10,000 increase in capacity for the fight.
That means the contest for Joshua’s IBF title and the vacant WBA ‘super’ and IBO heavyweight crowns on April 29 will be seen by a post-war record crowd of 90,000.
The Carl Froch-George Groves rematch at Wembley in 2014 currently holds the post-war attendance record with 80,000, while 90,000 is the all-time British record figure; set when Len Harvey fought Jock McAvoy at White City in London in 1939.
“I can’t wait to see the fight of the year here in London and it’s fantastic that a post-war record crowd will get to watch it at a world-class venue like Wembley,” said Khan.
“I’m delighted Transport for London and Network Rail have pulled out all the stops to make this happen so we can move 90,000 people around the capital quickly and safely.
Like me, they have recognised the importance to the capital of staging this epic showdown of the best two fighters in the heavyweight division and I look forward to our great city staging more great fights in the future.”
“I want to thank Wembley, TfL and Brent Council and particularly Sadiq Khan, who has fought our corner to ensure a capacity crowd will get the opportunity to watch this event live in the capital,” said Eddie Hearn.
“At the boxing writers’ dinner last year, Sadiq urged me to bring the biggest fights possible to the city and I’m delighted to have the biggest fight in British boxing history at Wembley Stadium on April 29.”
By Sky Sports
