Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko set for record attendance following deal with Sadiq Khan

The bout, to take place at Wembley on 29 April, is expected to attract a crowd of around 90,000

Joshua and Klitschko will meet at Wembley on 29 April (Getty)

Anthony Joshua’s upcoming heavyweight title fight against Wladimir Klitschko is expected to attract the largest British boxing crowd for nearly 80 years.

The bout, to take place at Wembley on 29 April, is expected to attract a crowd of around 90,000 after promoters struck an agreement with Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to lift a capacity cap.

Crowds for major sporting events at Wembley are typically limited to 80,000 in order for London's transport network to run efficiently.

However, following consultations between the Mayor's office, Network Rail, Transport for London and Wembley's operators, Joshua and Klitschko’s hotly-anticipated contest is likely to match the record attendance for a fight on British soil.

“Sadiq urged me to bring the biggest fights to the city and I'm delighted to have the biggest fight in British boxing history at Wembley,” Eddie Hearn told BBC Sport.

Khan said: “I can’t wait to see the fight of the year here in London and it’s fantastic that a post-war record crowd will get to watch it at a world-class venue like Wembley.

“I’m delighted Transport for London and Network Rail have pulled out all the stops to make this happen so we can move 90,000 people around the capital quickly and safely.”

The current record crowd for a British fight is also 90,000, set by Len Harvey and Jock McAvoy's bout at London's White City in 1939.

London 2012 Olympic champion Joshua has taken the division by storm since turning professional, winning all his 18 fights to date by knockout.

Former champion Klitschko, who will be 41 in March, has 64 wins and four defeats in his 20-year career. The Ukrainian was unbeaten for 11 years before losing to Britain's Tyson Fury in 2015.

Reuters