Online Reporter
UK fight fans were last week rejoicing at the news that long-time rivals Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua had officially signed on the dotted line for a December 11 Cardiff clash.
But that joy was short-lived when, just over 24 hours after the official announcement, it emerged that the domestic dust-up could be CANCELLED.
The bout is on the rocks due to the involvement of UFC and Zuffa Boxing supremo Dana White.
The veteran mixed martial arts promoter was officially named in last week’s press release, which stated he would “collaborate” with Saudi bankroller Turki Alalshikh “to promote” the Welsh war.
White being named as part of the promotional team came as a huge shock to Hearn and Co as the contract AJ signed for the fight back in April precludes him, or the TKO Group, from having any involvement in the fight.
Hearn – as he did when Alalshikh, broadcaster Netflix, White and TKO bigwig Nick Khan tried to take the fight to Madison Square Garden – is standing firm on White not being involved.
But the Saudis, who own a 60 per cent stake in Zuffa Boxing, are seemingly dead set on having White be a key figure in the fight.
White went on the offensive last weekend in a blockbuster back and forth with SunSport reporter Jack Figg, insisting Hearn’s adamance he be an outsider looking in is “hurting the fight.”
He added: “He hasn’t done the fight any favours. I don’t know anybody who is more full of s*** than Eddie Hearn.”
White’s latest comments about Hearn epitomise the souring of a once very friendly relationship.
Prior to White’s official entry into the boxing world earlier this year, he and Hearn had a healthy respect for one another.
In 2020, Matchroom chairman Hearn spoke glowingly about how White and the Fertitta brothers transformed the UFC from a failing company to a global powerhouse.
And he even admitted he wanted to REPLICATE what the American had done in the sport of mixed martial arts in boxing.
He told iFL TV at the time: “I want to change the sport for the better and the only way I can get the sport to where I wanted to be is to have that model like the UFC. The UFC is the model, the UFC leads the way. “The UFC doesn’t have the history of the sport of boxing, but I believe with the right model we can outperform the UFC. We’re a bigger sport than UFC, but they have it right.”
At one point in time, Hearn and White would regularly communicate via text and would rendezvous at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
And in March 2022, White even had Hearn and AJ cageside for UFC London.
The friendly relationship, however, would turn into a competitive one last June when Zuffa Boxing was officially launched.
White and Alalshikh issued a declaration of war to all other promotions right out of the gate, vowing to “crush” boxing’s old guard.
Hearn welcomed the prospect of going “head-to-head” with Zuffa, but was critical of the TKO Group’s bid to amend the Muhammad Ali Act.
When pressed on Hearn’s criticism by Stephen A Smith, White said: “I was actually surprised with Eddie Hearn at his – I’ve been cool with him for a long time – at his take on me getting into boxing and his reaction to it.
“Very negative, very confrontational, which I found weird because it’s not his style.” – Sun
