Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has threatened to sue Zuffa Boxing boss Dana White, accusing him of falsely claiming rights to stage the Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury fight and using Joshua to broker a venue deal he has no authority over, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The threat comes amid an ongoing public feud between Hearn and White that has simmered for much of the year, stemming from White’s move into boxing promotion with Zuffa Boxing, which has seen him sign some of Hearn’s fighters, and Hearn’s own move to manage a number of high-profile mixed martial arts fighters.
The friction has recently centred on the planned Fury-Joshua superfight, with White having earlier claimed to be the promoter of the bout, a claim Hearn disputes.
Speaking to About Boxing after rumours emerged of an imminent announcement for the fight to hold in November at Madison Square Garden, Hearn said White had no rights to broker such a deal.
“Actually, I should be suing Dana White, because what he’s doing is, he’s actually purporting to have the ability to stage the fight there, and he’s using my client to do a venue deal that he has no rights to,” Hearn said.
Hearn added that promotional outfit, TKO, had since approached him seeking involvement in the event, a proposal he said he was open to considering only if it clearly benefited Joshua and his fighters.
“The reality is, now, TKO are coming on, asking me if they can be involved. So Dana White’s gone from being the promoter of the event to asking if he can be involved. Why should I let you be involved in this event? Tell me how it benefits Anthony Joshua. Tell me how it benefits Matchroom. Tell me how it benefits my fighters,” Hearn said.
On the substance of the deal, Hearn confirmed both camps had signed for the fight, but said Team Fury wanted changes to the contract that Joshua’s side had already agreed.
“To be honest, all I can really tell you is we’ve signed for the fight. Obviously, they want to change the contract that we signed, which we don’t like to do. But we also understand that these guys are our partners, and it seems like everybody is adamant that the fight takes place in New York.
“Tyson Fury has agreed to do the fight in America, and we haven’t at the moment. So, we’re talking through a roadmap of what that might look like to change the deal. And if they do all the things that we’ve discussed and agreed in principle, then I think there is a very good chance that the fight will happen in America,” Hearn said.
White, however, dismissed Hearn’s claims when he addressed reporters following the latest edition of Contender Series.
“I have not. I stopped listening to Eddie Hearn about three months ago. Is there anybody more full of shit than this guy? Come on. Completely full of shit,” White said.
The exchange comes days after White, speaking following UFC 330, admitted his involvement in the deal had been limited to the television and venue arrangements, and questioned whether Joshua and Fury remained fully committed to the fight, insisting it should have happened 10 years ago.
Joshua and Fury signed contracts to face each other earlier in the year, but no date or venue has been confirmed for the fight, with Netflix, which is set to broadcast the contest, reportedly pushing for the bout to be staged in New York on November 20, according to The Mirror, while Joshua and Hearn continue to push for the fight to be held in the United Kingdom.
