Eddie Hearn says Dana White has no business running Anthony Joshua vs. Tyson Fury. White says he’s producing it anyway. The two most stubborn promoters on the planet are now fighting over a boxing match that doesn’t happen until Dec. 11.
The fight is set for Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, and streams on Netflix. Once the deal was finalized, the sniping between the Matchroom boss and the UFC CEO got louder. Hearn has said White will have nothing to do with the event. White has said his team is handling production for the Netflix broadcast.
Hearn went at it Saturday at a press conference in Birmingham.
“To be honest with you, at this point I think he’s completely cooked,” Hearn said of White.
Hearn’s argument rests on paperwork. He said White’s own claim, that his people are doing the TV production, is barred under the contract. He also said he took it straight to SELA, the Saudi Arabian company funding the event, and that SELA told him in writing the claim was false. Speaking to IFL.tv, he didn’t soften it.
“I went to SELA and they confirmed in writing absolute bollocks,” Hearn said. “I’m like this guy has absolutely lost the plot.”
Hearn also dropped a video, basically a highlight reel of things White has said about the fight over time. Hearn said he’d planned to sit on it because he’d started to feel bad for White, then changed his mind after seeing White’s latest comments. Hearn has clearly been saving clips, which every promoter in boxing should probably keep in mind.
He even tossed White a backhanded compliment, saying he admires that White won’t concede, and adding that “the front on him is unbelievable.”
White, who also runs Zuffa Boxing, answered at the UFC 332 post-fight press conference. He skipped the full tirade and simply said it all again.
“We’re producing the show, just like Canelo-Crawford. Same thing,” White said. He named Craig Borsari, someone named Zach and the rest of his crew as the people running it, and said he’d have his phone on the table like at every other show he produces.
“I’ll be there. I’m producing it. I’m promoting it. I’ll see you in Wales,” White said.
There may be a ceasefire coming. Hearn said he’s been asked to meet in Los Angeles next week and that he probably will go. BoxingScene reported Hearn is set to meet White about his involvement, and quoted him saying “We might work something out.” Bloody Elbow reported the meeting is with the money men.
My take: Hearn has the contract and the receipts, but White has spent decades making people sit at the table with him, and Hearn just agreed to fly to L.A. to sit at one. Somebody is going to be on that Netflix broadcast credits list on Dec. 11, and the guy who keeps insisting it’s him tends to get his way.
