Turki Alalshikh has said he wants the fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury to be held at Wembley Stadium in London, but only if it's staged late enough to cater for a worldwide audience.
Joshua and Fury each signed a deal with Alalshikh, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, to fight this year after almost a decade of negotiations falling over at several stages.
They must both get through warm up fights first. Fury will fight Mariusz Wach in Thailand on July 24, just hours before Joshua returns to the ring against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on July 25.
A venue for the all-British heavyweight bout has also not been confirmed, with the possibility it could land in the United States.
However, Alalshikh said on Monday he wants the fight to be at Wembley Stadium in London but with a first bell which enables fans around the world to watch it live.
"If they allow us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England," he said.
"I tell you from the beginning, it depends if England give us all that we need, we want the fight here in England.
"But we want the time zone of all the world, especially in America. If they allowed us to have Wembley late in the night, we want to do it in England. It is about the time and viewership and the subscribers."
The fight will be streamed on Netflix, meaning a big American audience is key to its overall success for the broadcaster. Notably, Ricky Hatton defeared Kostya Tszyu in 2005 in Manchester in the early hours to accomodate the U.S. television audience.
Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, told ESPN late last month there had been no approach from anyone for the fight to be in the U.S.
While he said it states in Joshua's contract that the fight must be in the UK, he accepted Alalshikh will have a major role in deciding the ultimate venue given he is bankrolling the bout.
"We're partners with Turki Alalshikh," Hearn said.
"He's paying the bill, and the bill is extortionate. So we want to allow him to be able to make it all work financially, but we would have to renegotiate the contract, and that will come with challenge and time.
"If he presents a reason and an opportunity that that fight should take place elsewhere, we're not going to be difficult about it.
"All I want is that fight to take place because I know he's going to win. And when he wins, I couldn't give a f--- where it is and who's involved and who's not."
