Boxing has evolved because of Covid – and some of the changes should stay

The fight between Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev was the first boxing event to welcome fans back in the UK since the pandemic. There was a peculiar atmosphere greeting the 1,000 people with tickets, writes Jack Rathborn

Anthony Joshua returned to action in front of 1,000 fans at Wembley Arena on Saturday (Reuters)

Your eyes tell you this is not normal, but your ears tell you otherwise. That was the story in the stands at Wembley Arena on Saturday during Anthony Joshua’s return to the ring. It was the first boxing event to welcome fans back in the UK since the pandemic and there was a peculiar atmosphere greeting the 1,000 people with tickets.

Rows of seats were taken out to leave plenty of space, which helps to mitigate the risk of attending an event in a soon-to-be tier 3 region, but there was also the added bonus of preventing any obscured views usually associated with inebriated fans leaping out of their seats after witnessing the thudding connection of leather on flesh.

Sport has evolved to ensure the safety of fans. To remove long queues for food and drink, there was compulsory use of an app, which proved efficient in alerting you when your refreshments were ready and therefore minimised time away from watching the fights.