Chelsea have reportedly held talks to use Stamford Bridge to host a potential heavyweight world title fight between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury later this year.
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The Premier League champions are understood to have discussed the possibility of hosting the bout which will likely take place in either September or October, although no dates have been confirmed as of yet.
Given that the fight would take place after the new season has started, it could represent a real headache for Jose Mourinho and his players if the event were to have any negative effect on the pitch at Stamford Bridge.
It is reported that the Emirates Stadium was also under consideration, but the home of the champions remains the most likely option for what would be the biggest heavyweight title fight in Britain in years.
The fixtures for the new season will be announced on June 17, and so the promotional companies will use that to identify a Saturday night where Chelsea aren’t playing at home.
According to the Daily Mail, the club has already carried out tests at the training ground on how the pitch covering would likely effect the playing surface after.
While the recognition and revenue generated by staging the event would certainly make it worthwhile for the club, it undoubtedly risks adding additional wear and tear on the pitch which could in turn adversely effect their preparation and playing style at home the following weekend.
With regards to its impact on boxing, it would be another huge stadium event for fans after the success of Carl Froch’s rematch with George Groves at Wembley Stadium last year.
The pair met in front of 80,000 people just 24 hours after an England friendly, but naturally the national home of football doesn’t have the same amount of games as Chelsea would particularly with the Champions League expected to be heavily involved in the schedule at that time too.
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