Boxing
Can Cardiff truly save Fury-Joshua from furious collapse?
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Seven days ago, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua's long-awaited heavyweight super-bout seemed poised to slip away again.
The pair's blue-riband clash, long considered the glamour-division's white whale contest, appeared to be running out of road.
Plans to host at Wembley Stadium had seemingly been kiboshed by powerbrokers bidding to draw a big American audience.
That had put Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn at loggerheads, insisting their contract required an encounter on British soil.
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Now, after months of back-and-forth battles between camps, reports suggest it will be coming home - specifically, to Cardiff.
So, can the Welsh capital truly save Fury-Joshua from another furious collapse? DAZN News explores the case for the city.
Why could Cardiff host Fury-Joshua?
The sticking point over a potential Wembley Stadium showdown has long been plans to secure a major broadcast audience.
Given broadcaster Netflix wants to maximise American interest, that would mean a post-midnight bout in the United Kingdom.
Cardiff's Principality Stadium - still colloquially known as the Millennium Stadium - would be a fitting domestic alternative then.
With its retractable roof design useful for a planned November date, it would negate any concerns over incliment weather terms.
Furthermore, while London is unlikely to change a strict curfew for Fury-Joshua, Cardiff is reportedly willing to sanction a shift.
That would allow matters to take place around 2:00am in the morning - and with it, ensure powerbrokers get their wishes too.
Why has Joshua been resistant to America?
Cardiff's emergence has come amid a protracted stand-off between Joshua, promoter Matchroom and promotional outfit Sela.
The former's deal for his bout with Fury has long been said to include a stipulation that it should be held in the United Kingdom.
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Attempts to force a move to Madison Square Garden have therefore met with significant pushback from Hearn and company.
The latter has suggested that a renegotiation - with a higher purse to cover taxes - would be an option for Joshua to consider.
But the duo have been mostly adamant about taking the biggest British heavyweight boxing bout for a generation on home turf.
Claims by Hearn that key figures have attempted to circumvent the deal have also stoked increasing rancour in discussions too.
Will Fury-Joshua happen in Cardiff?
With plans still reportedly fixed on a late November date, all parties are running out of time to hash out and secure a final deal.
Fury ally Spencer Brown has insisted the fight remains on, while several other key figures have repeatedly echoed sentiments.
At the same time, the risk of a final, irreversible collapse still looms, especially given prior attempts to broker a Fury-Joshua fight.
Fans will long know this bout has come close and fallen by the wayside before, only to be picked up once again a few years later.
Still, there are only so many times such high drama can unfold before it collapses beneath that weight. Cardiff, for now, waits.
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