Tickets for the long-awaited Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua heavyweight showdown sold out in less than an hour, with enormous demand sending some tickets onto resale websites for more than £73,000.
The all-British fight went on general sale at midday on Friday, October 9, with around 80,000 tickets available for the December 11 event at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
More than 500,000 fans were reportedly waiting in the Ticketmaster queue within minutes of sales opening, while another 170,000 people attempted to buy tickets through the stadium's website.
The speed at which the tickets disappeared underlines the extraordinary interest surrounding a fight that has been discussed for almost a decade.
Fury-Joshua tickets disappear within an hour
Tickets went on sale at 12pm British time and had sold out by around 1pm.
Standard ticket prices ranged from £88.50 to £13,128, with the highest standard-priced tickets including booking fees. VIP and hospitality packages were priced separately.
The huge online queue meant thousands of fans were unable to secure seats despite attempting to purchase them as soon as the sale opened.
The fight will be the first professional meeting between Fury and Joshua, both former world heavyweight champions.
Their rivalry has been one of boxing's biggest potential matchups for years, but repeated negotiations failed to produce a fight until the bout was finally confirmed in September.
Resale prices reach more than £73,000
The situation became even more striking after tickets began appearing on resale websites almost immediately after the official sale ended.
Ringside VIP tickets were advertised for as much as £73,645, while some upper-tier seats were being listed for around £425.
The £73,645 figure represents an advertised resale price rather than evidence that a ticket actually sold for that amount.
The massive difference between the original ticket prices and some resale listings has already generated criticism from boxing fans online.
Ticketmaster said the original ticket prices were determined by the event organiser and included booking fees.
Principality Stadium prepares for late-night blockbuster
The fight is scheduled for December 11, although the main-event ring walks are expected to take place at approximately 1am on December 12 in the UK.
A request submitted to Cardiff City Council seeks permission for the Principality Stadium to remain open until approximately 3:30am.
The unusual start time is intended to accommodate the international television audience, particularly viewers in North America. The venue is also expected to keep its roof closed throughout the event.
Fans attending the fight will reportedly need to be inside the stadium by 11:30pm on December 11, with no late admissions permitted under the proposed arrangements.
A fight years in the making
Fury and Joshua have spent much of their careers being linked with one another.
Both fighters became heavyweight world champions and established themselves among Britain's biggest boxing stars. However, despite several rounds of negotiations over the years, the matchup never materialised.
The fight was eventually confirmed after Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh became involved in negotiations.
The event was initially considered for New York's Madison Square Garden, but Cardiff was ultimately selected as the venue.
The bout will be streamed globally on Netflix, adding another major audience to the already enormous interest in the contest.
Huge commercial expectations
The rapid sellout gives an early indication of the commercial potential of Fury-Joshua.
The event is being promoted as one of the biggest fights in British boxing history, and the demand for tickets suggests that interest has remained strong despite the lengthy wait for the matchup.
The previous record for a UK boxing gate was reportedly set by Fury's 2022 fight against Dillian Whyte at Wembley. The Fury-Joshua event is expected to challenge or surpass that figure.
For fans who missed the official sale, the secondary market remains an option, although prices vary dramatically and the most expensive listings are far above the original face value.
With the stadium effectively sold out weeks before fight night, attention will now turn to the fighters' preparations for what promises to be one of the most heavily watched British heavyweight contests in years.
