Demand for the long-awaited showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has surged, with all 80,000 available tickets reportedly snapped up within an hour of sales opening.
More than 500,000 boxing fans were said to have joined the online queue to secure seats for the December contest, highlighting the enormous interest surrounding the clash between the two British heavyweights.
The fight is scheduled for December 11 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, although the main event is expected to take place in the early hours of December 12.
Ticket prices ranged from £88.50 to £13,128, including booking fees. Despite the steepest prices, the available allocation was exhausted within 60 minutes.
The contest, which will be streamed globally on Netflix, was announced in September and is being organised through a partnership involving Turki Alalshikh’s The Ring and UFC president Dana White.
However, the rush for tickets has reportedly fuelled a resale market, with some sellers advertising ringside VIP seats for as much as £73,645 and upper-tier tickets for £425.
Fury, 38, and Joshua, 36, have both held world heavyweight titles twice, but have never met in a professional bout despite years of speculation about a possible fight.
London’s Wembley Stadium and New York’s Madison Square Garden were previously considered as potential venues before Cardiff was chosen.
The build-up to the fight also encountered uncertainty over promotional arrangements, particularly concerning White’s role and objections reportedly raised by Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn.
The rivals later appeared together at a press conference on September 30, setting the stage for a bout expected to attract worldwide attention.
Reports suggest the fighters could share a purse approaching $200m (£151m), although the organisers have yet to announce the undercard.
The rapid sell-out underlines the commercial appeal of a long-awaited meeting between two of Britain’s most prominent boxing stars.
