Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has slammed Tyson Fury in a scathing interview, saying that The Gypsy King is demanding too much money in negotiations.
There is one fight in heavyweight boxing that is the big attention grabber right now, and that is Tyson Fury against Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
The pair first faced off after the Englishman had beaten Derek Chisora back in December, and have been in negotiations ever since.
But after three months, an agreement for the pair to share the ring does not seem close, and Eddie Hearn has grown frustrated with Fury and his team.
Frank Warren admits that the fight could collapse
Hearn’s comments follow those made by boxing promoter Frank Warren, who represents Fury.
Speaking to talkSPORT earlier this week, Warren admitted that the negotiations for the fight would not go beyond the end of this week.
“You need the agreement of both boxers to make it happen and at the moment we haven’t got that, so that’s where we’re at,” he said on Tuesday.
“We’re working hard to make it happen. And, with the greatest respect, I didn’t ring talkSPORT to do an interview about it, you rang me.
“So, out of courtesy I’m telling you where we are, but I’m not going to be conducting negotiations at the moment they’re confidential between the two parties.
“But, I would say it’s not going to go past the end of this week that’s for sure because the proposed date is April 29.”
Warren was then asked about whether money was holding up negotiations, and he admitted that if it was not enough then the fight would not happen.
“I have a pot and out of that pot I can only pay what’s in it and if it’s not enough money the fight won’t happen, at the end of the day we’re running a business,” Warren said.
What has Eddie Hearn said?
But Matchroom Sport chairman Hearn has now fired back at Fury and his team, saying that they want too much in that pot.
Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said: “When are you guys out there gonna start understanding? ‘It’s not about the money as long as it’s free, as long as it’s free for the general public.’ F*** off, you want money, you want too much money.
“You’re not the draw you think you are, that fight’s not as big as you think it is.
“Everyone talks about big fights in the Middle East for a heavyweight world championship. Well, guess what, there’s only one person that’s delivered big fights in the Middle East, and that is moi.
“Three fights, three world heavyweight championships, two in Saudi Arabia, and also the big card in Abu Dhabi as well.
“Greed. If you are about legacy, if you want to be undisputed then you take the fight. Oh, so you’re gonna get £50-60 million instead of the £80 or £100 or £125 million that you asked for. F*** me.”
Video: Eddie Hearn destroys Tyson Fury in scathing interview
Hearn then went on to say that the fight could still happen, but said that Fury needed to sacrifice some of the purse.
“Maybe,” Hearn said. “But if you really want the fight, you have to make concessions. Fury’s got a point, he’s a bigger draw, but I’ll tell you something now. When Tyson Fury drew with Deontay Wilder, and he didn’t have a world championship belt, we offered him 60-40 to fight Anthony Joshua as a voluntary challenger.
“He came back and said: ‘I’ll only fight AJ on 50-50.’ At the time AJ, was a much bigger draw, he was the world unified heavyweight world champion and Fury had no belts. We said no 60-40, the fight didn’t happen.
“Tyson Fury is worth more than 50-50 in this fight, but if you want to be the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis, then you take 50-50, and you get the fight done. And if he is that little middleweight and if he’s no good, then easy money.”
