Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has threatened legal action against Zuffa Boxing boss Dana White, accusing him of falsely claiming promotional rights to the proposed Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury fight.
Hearn said White was also attempting to use Joshua’s name to negotiate a venue deal despite having no authority to do so.
Speaking to About Boxing, Hearn said: “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.”
The dispute is the latest escalation in a long-running feud between the two promoters, which intensified after White entered boxing promotion with Zuffa Boxing and signed some fighters associated with Hearn’s Matchroom.
The rivalry has also grown as Hearn expanded his involvement in mixed martial arts.
Hearn questions White’s role
Hearn said TKO, the parent company of UFC and Zuffa Boxing, had approached him about becoming involved in the proposed Joshua-Fury event.
He questioned why Matchroom should allow TKO to participate unless the arrangement directly 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,” Hearn said.
“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.”
Joshua-Fury deal faces changes
Hearn confirmed that Joshua’s camp had signed an agreement for the fight, but said Fury’s team was seeking changes to the contract.
“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,” he said.
However, Hearn said Joshua’s team remained open to discussions because both sides wanted the fight to happen.
“Tyson Fury has agreed to do the fight in America, and we haven’t at the moment,” he added.
Hearn said there was a “very good chance” of the fight taking place in the United States if the outstanding issues were resolved.
White dismisses Hearn’s accusations
White rejected Hearn’s comments, dismissing the Matchroom promoter’s claims as baseless.
“I have not. I stopped listening to Eddie Hearn about three months ago,” White told reporters after the latest edition of Contender Series.
“Is there anybody more full of shit than this guy? Come on. Completely full of shit.”
The latest exchange follows White’s comments after UFC 330, when he said his involvement in the proposed fight had largely focused on television and venue arrangements.
White also questioned whether Joshua and Fury remained fully committed to facing each other, arguing that the bout should have happened years ago.
Joshua and Fury have signed contracts to meet, but the fight still has no confirmed date or venue.
Reports indicate that Netflix, which is expected to broadcast the contest, favours New York, while Joshua and Hearn have continued to push for the fight to take place in the United Kingdom.
