Turki Alalshikh has thrown down the gauntlet to London's authorities – agree to a late start time and we'll make Wembley Stadium the stage for the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. The Saudi powerbroker is pulling out all the stops to ensure this all-British bout goes ahead in England, but only if they can crack the timing puzzle.
With international eyes on the prize, Alalshikh wants Wembley to be the venue, but he's not willing to compromise on aligning with US prime-time schedules. "If they let us have Wembley late at night, we want it in England," he declared. The plan? A main event kick-off as late as 04:00 GMT to suit American viewers.
It's not the first time a major combat sports event has been scheduled around US TV interests – just look back at UFC 304 in Manchester last July, which got underway at 01:00 BST. But would a Wembley late starter be a logistical nightmare for fans attending? The implications are significant.
Eddie Hearn's not having it, though. The Matchroom promoter, who has Joshua on his books, rubbished US staging speculation just last month. "There's no one on this planet who doesn't think this fight should take place in the UK," he declared. And with Alalshikh's financial might behind it, Hearn is convinced that Fury-Joshua will roll into Wembley as planned.
But before all eyes are on Wembley, both contenders have fights to get out of the way this month. Fury takes on Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand on 24th July, while Joshua steps up against Kristian Prenga in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the very next day.