Eddie Hearn says Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua will not take place in the United States, and he blames Dana White for a standoff that has left the heavyweight fight without a date or venue.
Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said Joshua turned down extra money to move the fight to America because he wants the original agreement honored.
What he can’t get his head around is that Anthony Joshua won’t take a little bit more money to do the fight in America, because he cares,” Hearn said.
He cares where the fight is. He cares about British boxing, and he cares about the contract that he signed.
And Dana White thinks you can throw a little bit of money at someone and they’ll dance to your f*cking tune,” Hearn continued.
Well, guess what? Not on A.J.’s watch. That is why, unfortunately for these people, the fight will not be taking place in America, because Anthony Joshua is not a sellout.
Earlier this month, he answered Hearn publicly after being blamed for the stalemate. Hearn, in turn, has accused TKO of going behind his back with an offer to Joshua to move the bout to New York.
Why The Venue Matters
Joshua signed to fight Fury in the United Kingdom. When Madison Square Garden emerged as the preferred venue, Hearn sought a contract addendum with revised terms rather than simply agreeing to the move.
Broadcaster Netflix has been eager to stage the fight in the U.S. to reach the American market. The Times has reported that Cardiff’s Principality Stadium has been floated as a UK alternative.
Hearn has also insisted White has no role in the event.
“It’s explicitly set in our contract that he can have nothing to do with the show,” he said last month.
He has pointed to his relationship with Joshua as the reason he won’t bend: “AJ is one of my closest friends, AJ is a shareholder of Matchroom.”
Both fighters won tune-up bouts earlier this year to keep the matchup on track. As of now, no date or location has been confirmed.
