Thursday 29 April 2021 10:27, UK
Anthony Joshua will headline consecutively at Wembley and the Principality Stadium, but which other boxers have fought in multiple stadia?
The 'Magic Man' won a world title fight on both occasions that he fought inside a stadium, in Manchester and then Donetsk.
He first boxed on Ricky Hatton's homecoming undercard at the City of Manchester Stadium in 2008, beating Lovemore N'dou. Malignaggi, who won the IBF light-welterweight title from N'dou a year earlier, won a split decision in the Manchester rematch. Remember Malignaggi's haircut? This victory teed up a major fight against Hatton, who beat Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium, but Malignaggi lost their eventual meeting.
Arguably Malignaggi's best win came in Ukraine's Donbass Arena, in 2012, at the home of Shakhtar Donetsk. Vyacheslav Senchenko was the unbeaten WBA welterweight champion but Malignaggi travelled to his homeland, and stopped him in nine rounds.
They were not a very emotional crowd, kind of cold actually. They were all there to get the result they didn't get, so I guess that's why they were so subdued.
"It wasn't quite a British atmosphere and nothing like fighting at a British football stadium but it was certainly a fun experience, especially because I won a world title there," Malignaggi said.
"They were not a very emotional crowd, kind of cold actually. They were all there to get the result they didn't get, so I guess that's why they were so subdued."
The sensational Wembley occasion against Joshua remains fresh in the memory but Klitschko's first fight in a stadium came five years earlier, in Switzerland.
Klitschko defended his lineal world heavyweight championship against Tony Thompson in Bern's Stade de Suisse, the home ground of Young Boys. Klitschko pounded Thompson into a sixth-round defeat, four years after their first meeting which the dominant champion also won via stoppage.
Klitschko then led the Swiss crowd into a rendition of 'happy birthday' for Emanuel Steward, his trainer, who turned 68 on the day of the fight.
The Filippino great held two consecutive world title fights at the Cowboys Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in 2010 but the attendances that he attracted differed noticeably. Around 50,000 fans watched Pacquiao retain his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey but, six months later, the attendance decreased by about 20,000 people when he beat Antonio Margarito. The world's largest high-definition TV screen (at the time) hung above the ring on both occasions.
Three months ago, Pacquiao's arrival in Brisbane, Australia, for a world title defence against local lad Jeff Horn brought 50,000 fans to the Suncorp Stadium. Horn, a former schoolteacher, pulled off a stunning upset by outpointing Pacquiao and taking his WBO belt.
The London heavyweight fought consecutively at the homes of Hamburg and West Ham with wildly different results.
He was unable to justify his pre-fight trash talk against Wladimir Klitschko in 2011 at the Imtech Arena in Germany, in front of an estimated 57,000 fans. Haye's jibing of the world heavyweight champion caused a stir before their fight, but inside the ring, Klitschko's game-plan foiled him. Haye revealed a broken toe afterwards and claimed it hindered his performance.
His next fight, at Upton Park, against Dereck Chisora was the culmination of a press conference brawl months earlier. Chisora was arrested and had his licence revoked while Haye was already unlicensed, but a fight was given the green light by the Luxembourg Boxing Federation. Haye won via fifth-round KO with 30,000 fans gathered.
The scene of Mitchell's most devastating defeat was at Upton Park, the home of his beloved West Ham, and a stone's throw from his birthplace. He was beaten by Michael Katsidis in 2010 in front of 15,000 fellow East Enders, but Mitchell had also enjoyed success at other stadia.
He beat Imad Ben Khalifa for his 20th pro bout at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium on a card featuring Danny Williams-Matt Skelton, Enzo Maccarinelli and Amir Khan. More recently Mitchell won on the Carl Froch-George Groves undercard at Wembley - but turning the clock back to 2005, he won at Edinburgh's Meadowbank (a facility that hosted two Commonwealth Games, rugby and football).
The Mexican star had an official attendance of above 50,000 people at Cowboys Stadium last year when he beat Liam Smith but he has also boxed at other Texas stadia accustomed to basketball and baseball. Four years ago Canelo beat Austin Trout at the Alamodome, the former home of the San Antonio Spurs, then two years he beat James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park, a ballpark with a retractable-roof that houses the Houston Astros.
His knockout of George Groves at Wembley in front of 80,000 people was preceded by a 2010 defeat to Mikkel Kessler at Denmark's MCH Arena, a stadium that FC Midtjylland call home.
