TYSON FURY has accused Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn of trying to blow their super-fight as the row over who promotes their Battle of Britain heats up.
In April, the 36-year-old Watford heavyweight signed his side of the deal for the biggest fight in British boxing history.
The mega-money agreement stipulated the fight MUST happen in the UK and that Dana White – the UFC kingpin who also fronts Zuffa boxing – must NOT be involved in the promotion.
White battled to have the showdown staged at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, for the benefit of US streamers Netflix who want the fight to go ahead during American primetime.
But AJ stood firm on the legally binding papers he penned and forced the organisers to book Cardiff’s Principality stadium for a card starting on Friday December 11 and the main event coming in the early hours of the 12th.
Overnight White posted a screengrab of his cigar-smoking self on a video call with Turki Al-Sheikh and then later a photo of the pair together alongside American media powerhouse executive Nick Khan.
And now the biggest fight in British boxing history – which has turned into a circus – hangs in the balance as the bungling behind the scenes continues.
A furious Fury, from his Florida training camp, seethed: “Breaking news, Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn are trying to pull out of this fight, they’re saying they’re not going to fight now, they’re little s***house cowards.
“It’s mainly to do with Eddie Hearn’s ego. They’re making up a million different things and threatening they’re not going to fight. ‘We’re not going to fight, we’re not going to fight’.
“You little coward. AJ, pull your finger out you little white-flagged, yellow belly coward.
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All eyes are focused on the ‘Battle of Britain’ between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, with the pair set to finally settle their decade-long rivalry in December.
Before that, October sees Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois face off in a rematch of their thrilling May fight, while Canelo Alvarez returns against Christian Mbili on Halloween.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
September
- Sat 26 – Johnny Fisher vs Michael Pirotton – Sky Sports
October
- Sat 3 – Ben Whittaker vs Conor Wallace – DAZN
- Sat 10 – Joey Essex vs Dapper Laughs – DAZN
- Sat 17 – Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2 – DAZN
- Sat 24 – Dalton Smith vs Alberto Puello – DAZN
- Sat 31 – Canelo Alvarez vs Christian Mbili – DAZN
December
- Fri 11 – Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua – Netflix
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“Now I’m coming home. The Gypsy King is coming back to the United Kingdom, to thrash you in front of all my fans in Wales.
“You absolute little nugget. Bodybuilding sausage and now you’re making a million excuses. Now you’ve got Turki Al-Sheikh finding alternative real men who will fight at the drop of a hat.
“So I hope you are happy, you little cowardly b******s. I’ve never seen anything like you, you pure s***houses. And this is mainly to do with Eddie Hearn’s ego, what a little p****. It’s cost us the biggest fight in boxing history. Clown.”
Per Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger, an alternative bout between Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford is being announced, as well as David Benavidez potentially stepping in for Joshua to face Fury.
Although Crawford later responded to Coppinger’s post on X: “Where you hear this at?”
In a separate video, Fury added: So Eddie Hearn’s ego is trying to cost us and all the boxing fans around the world the fight that everyone’s waited for, for over a decade.
“And it is all because Eddie doesn’t want someone in the building. Isn’t that a bit pathetic and childish?
“He doesn’t want someone in the building like he’s nine-years-old and doesn’t like them.
“You absolute nugget. You little silver spooned w***er. You’re not a man of your work, you little back out p***y.
“And Joshua, you ought to be ashamed of yourself. You want this and you want that.
“I’ve agreed to five different locations with you, you little sausages.
“I had a contract, if I had stuck to that contract, there would be no fight would there?
“But I’m a fighting man, you see. I don’t give a f***. I’ll fight them anywhere. That’s the difference.
“You little cowards. Hit the gym, hit some weights – you little sausage.”
When US streamers Netflix released the announcement press release they listed White – who has had zero impact or influence on either Brit’s career – as a partner in the promotion, alongside Saudi boxing bankroller Al-Sheikh.
AJ promoter Eddie Hearn immediately hit back at the suggestion White will be the frontman – even though he does not hold a promoter’s licence with the British Boxing Board of Control.
In Joshua’s side of the deal, Fury’s longtime promoter Frank Warren cannot be front and centre of the event.
And in Fury’s terms and conditions, Matchroom matchmaker Hearn cannot be a pivotal part of the proceedings.
But one detail that is identical in both sides of the contracts is that White cannot be the ringmaster.
Fury was under a long-running US ban due to his well documented relationship with Irish super-gangster Daniel Kinahan.
But he had his visa issues sorted back in June when he was jetted out to the White House for the UFC show there.
When asked if White would be part of the promotion for the long-awaited fight Fury said: “100 per cent potential, yes.”
TKO is the parent company of both UFC and Zuffa Boxing, both White brands, as well as wrestling giants WWE.
And they have a close relationship with the Saudi owned events organisers – and former Newcastle sponsors – Sela.
Saudi regularly host major UFC, WWE and boxing and if White is their favourite frontman then they will want him at the top table.
But Zuffa boxing has a show in East London tonight and White is not even the named and licensed promoter – an unknown by the name of Dave Lewis is.
It seems the only way to calm the chaos is to get a pseudo face to front the shambles.
The press conference is planned for Wednesday and there will be a long queue of well known names who would like to attach themselves to the era-defining battle.
But AJ and Hearn are digging in their heels and refusing to be bullied into something that their contract clearly states cannot happen.
Speaking about his involvement on Friday, White told Sky Sports: “Eddie Hearn must spend 24 hours a day doing interviews, I’ve never seen a guy do more interviews in my life.
“But it’s all good, it’s all good for the fight and I think a lot of people have become aware of the fight by the fight not being done yet.
“I’m not involved in the promotion of the fight? I’m sitting here promoting the fight right now, who’s going to stop me?”
White then added: “What did I lose? What have I lost? I promise you I’ve lost nothing.”
FURY VS JOSHUA: ALL THE DETAILS AS BITTER RIVALS CLASH IN LONG-AWAITED BATTLE OF BRITAIN