Fury v Joshua fight to provide 'big boost' to city's economy

Business owners expect the much anticipated clash between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to provide a "big boost" to the Welsh economy.

The British heavyweights are set to fight on 11 December at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, with fans expected to travel to the Welsh capital from all corners of the globe.

A bar manager intends to order triple his usual amount of beer barrels, but some residents have expressed concern about the impact the fight will have on public services.

Transport for Wales said it intends to put extra services on to deal with the influx of fans, as hotel prices for that weekend sky rocket due to increased demand.

Chairman of Cardiff Night Forum Nick Newman said he was "absolutely delighted" by the announcement, as another "fantastic showpiece" is coming to the city.

He manages nine pubs, and said venue owners across the city will be planning, getting beer in the cellar and food in the fridges.

Newman said he has "no concerns" about the scale of the event, with planning meetings set to take place in the months leading up.

He said they have agreed with Cardiff council and South Wales Police licensing that businesses can apply for an extended hours license.

"That means we can serve alcohol until 05:30, and then close the premises at 06:00," he added.

Newman said this would allow the city to "reset" for any workers in the city centre on Saturday morning.

He expects there to be a similar level of excitement to Joe Calzaghe's fight against Mikkel Kessler in 2007, when more than 50,000 fans descended on what was then the Millennium Stadium.

"That's great for the economy. That's great for jobs. That's great for the sort of feel-good factor around the city," he added.

Twm Jones, assistant manager of On the River, a venue opposite the Principality Stadium, says they are "really excited" for the event.

The bar opened on the first weekend of the Oasis tour, which kicked off in Cardiff, which gave him a sense of how busy the city can be when big events take place.

"We'll probably be buying in triple the amount of barrels that we usually would," he said.

They expect to have a couple of hundred people in the venue on fight night and Jones said they intend to stay open until "at least before the fight, and probably after as well".

"It gets a bit rowdy but its all good fun," he added.

But Sarah Hill, who lives close the Principality Stadium, disagrees and says she "doesn't see the appeal" of the fight.

"Why are they doing it? I don't really pay attention to boxing at all," she added.

Hill realises that Cardiff is no stranger to hosting big events, but said "every big event at the Principality Stadium is an inconvenience to the people that live here".

"Rock concerts, rugby games. Any kind of sporting event is just a nightmare," she added.

"The entire city shuts. So if you want to get from the train station to your house, you have to go out of your way just to get a taxi."

She said the taxis can "cost a fortune" on event days, due to surge pricing, and the late start time has also left her questioning how Cardiff's infrastructure will cope, with the event feeling like "it's just about money".

"The trains only run so late so it's just about selling as much booze before and after the event," Hill added.

"If the start time is there to benefit the audience in the United States, why is it even here?"

Jack Gower moved to Cardiff this month for his university studies and said it has become a "big event city" in recent years.

"It's good because any big event in the UK you think London or Manchester. It's good for cities like Cardiff to get the publicity," he added.

Jack said he is not much of a sports fan, but admits the event is likely to "impact everyone in some way".

He added: "Especially for local bars and tourist places. Uni students moving in will probably be the biggest thing [boost for bars], and this will just boost the economy more for them."

Dave Leyshon runs DTL Travel, an online travel business based in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and is selling tickets for the heavyweight clash costing between £450 and £12,000.

"I know it's not a title fight but it's two former heavyweight champions. It's a fair price when you compare it to other major sporting events such as the football World Cup," he said.

Leyshon has called on TfW to "get the travel right" after the fight night rail service was criticised when Joshua fought in Cardiff in 2018.

"That's so important and I know some coach firms locally to me and also in west Wales will be running buses in case people fear there'll be an issue with the trains," he added.

It has almost been 20 years since Joe Calzaghe defeated Kessler at the stadium.

Former stadium manager, Gerry Toms, was in charge then, and said it was a "challenge" putting on a fight in the early hours, but staffing was key.

"A lot of the planning is needed with the police, the rail network, the council, hoteliers, and the taxi services," he said.

"It all has to be coordinated to provide the best possible service you can."

A 22:30 curfew was implemented that night to get the fans into the stadium early, ensuring they would not "descend on the stadium" just before the fight began.

"We still had a couple of fights in the stadium, which weren't in the ring, but good stewarding can keep that calm and step in early to defuse it, " he said.

Executive director of UKHospitality Cymru David Chapman said the fight is going to provide a "big boost" to Cardiff's hospitality businesses, with demand for hotels in the city "incredibly high".

He urged fans to be patient with hotel staff who are dealing with an influx of requests and enquiries.

A spokesperson for Transport for Wales said they are working closely with the event organisers to provide "additional capacity into Cardiff" to help customers return home during early hours of the morning.

They added: "We're now working on a provisional service plan and for all the other arrangements needed to host an event of this size in Cardiff.

"We'll release further information in due course."