Eddie Hearn claims Joshua vs Dubois showdown will set a new UK boxing attendance record

The Matchroom Boxing head honcho has reasserted his claim that the upcoming Riyadh Season card will break the attendance record for a UK boxing event.

Eddie Hearn has repeated his claim that the heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium will set a new attendance record for a UK boxing event. He told several media outlets that the Saudi-based organisers will push to get the attendance figure to 100,000.

During media rounds, Hearn also revealed the fight had sold 70,000 tickets on the first day of sales alone. With the fight still over six weeks away, those early sales mean the event is undoubtedly on track to meet his hefty target.

Despite Joshua being the more well-known boxer, it’s Dubois who will come into the bout as a champion. He was elevated to champion status after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the title. Joshua is in the uncommon situation of being a challenger that’s favoured by the big bookmakers.

Wembley Stadium has a long-standing relationship with the sport, hosting several marquee boxing events, the first of which came way back in 1924. In recent years, Tyson Fury, Carl Froch, and Anthony Joshua have all topped the bill at Wembley.

The track record of Turki Alalshikh should boost belief the event can break the attendance record. Backed by the Saudi PIF, he’s changed the face of boxing over the past 18 months. Helping to make fights that fans have been crying out for, including the undisputed showdown between Fury and Usyk back in May.

The undercard is also likely to contribute to ticket sales, featuring several fights that could have topped the bill on a smaller show. A focus on the quality of the whole card is a trend with these Riyadh Season boxing events, with their upcoming LA a prime example.

Given the early sales and Saudi backing, it’s certainly possible this fight will achieve the massive target. Selling 100,000 tickets would also give Joshua bragging rights over long-time rival Tyson Fury, whose 2022 Wembley fight against Dilllian Whyte sold 94,000.