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Fans will be back for Anthony Joshua's title defense against Kubrat Pulev.
Matchroom MD Eddie Hearn has confirmed that 1,000 fans will be in attendance at The SSE Arena, Wembley, where Champion Anthony Joshua will fight Mandatory Challenger Kubrat Pulev on Saturday December 12, to retain his IBF, WBO, WBA, and IBO World Heavyweight titles.
Anthony Joshua fighting on home soil for the first time in two years
Anthony Joshua will be back to fight in the UK for the first time in over two years. The tickets, priced at £100, £200, £300, £500 and £1,000 (VIP), will go live on December 4.
Fans will be welcomed back to a live boxing match for the first time since March. There will be strict safety measures and guidelines in place to prevent the risk of COVID-19 spreading, as provided by Matchroom Boxing.
Masks are obviously compulsory, and only members of a single household will be allowed to attend in a group. NHS Track & Trace codes will be provided for the attendees to check in at entrances.
Eddie Hearn said that the Matchroom Boxing team has been working hard for the past 10 months to make this day a reality.
"I can’t tell you how happy I am to see fans returning to our live boxing events,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “Whilst the team have done an incredible job over the last 10 months we live and breathe through the energy and atmosphere that a live crowd generates. It’s so fitting that they can return for an AJ (Anthony Joshua) fight, when through the last few years he has broken all kinds of attendance records in the U.K. and beyond. This is such a positive move for boxing and all sport. Welcome back!"
The Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev fight was originally planned for The O2 Arena, but was then moved the SSE Arena for promoter convenience.
John Drury, VP and General Manager of The SSE Arena, Wembley, said that they have partnered up with ASM Global's VenueShield program to ensure "highest levels of enhanced cleanliness and safety".
"As a response to the coronavirus pandemic, ASM Global has partnered with medical professionals, industry leaders, and public health officials to create a welcoming, secure environment while providing the most advanced hygienic safeguards for anyone visiting the building. We are following all government and local authority health guidelines in order to reopen, and look forward to bringing fans and events back in a COVID-secure way."
