Eddie Hearn has alleged that Anthony Joshua's contract to fight Tyson Fury has already been breached, claiming the breaches have been allowed to slide despite accusations of games being played.
Contract terms and venue dispute
The two British heavyweights are due to fight later this year, but a venue has yet to be set almost four months after the bout was confirmed. Hearn said in late April: "Signed, sealed and delivered! AJ vs Fury is on."
The contract is said to stipulate a stadium in the United Kingdom. However, there is a push for the fight to take place in the United States. Joshua and Fury hold separate contracts with Saudi-owned Sela. New York's Madison Square Garden is understood to be their preferred venue so that the contest, which is due to be broadcast on Netflix, can be tailored to American audiences.
Hearn's comments on the situation
Speaking during a press conference after George Liddard beat Dario Morello for the European middleweight title on Saturday, Hearn said: "What [the organisers] want to do is they want to pay Anthony Joshua less money. Because that's how it'll work out with the difference in location. They want him to do a load of additional stuff.
"I'm not going to blow things up, which I could do so easily. But there have been breaches in AJ's contract already. Which we've let slide because these guys are our partners and our friends or were [our friends]. There's a game being played at the moment."
He also told IFL TV regarding the changes: "Imagine you get in a position, or you do a deal - the biggest deal of your life, the biggest moment of your career. You're told 'here's the money, you're going to be based here, this is what you've gotta do, blah blah blah'.
"You go 'unbelievable, oh sign me up!' You sign for it, you're moving forward, you're absolutely buzzing. And then someone comes to you and goes 'oh by the way, we're actually going to give you less money now. And you're going to have to do a little bit more, and it's not even going to be where you thought it was going to be, it's going to be somewhere you didn't even sign for.'
"And then you've got people going 'oh just sign the contract'. No, f*** off. Do. As. We. Agreed. We don't break contracts, and that is why we are fighting. If they want to breach the contract, that's on them. You can't criticise us for signing a contract and agreeing to all terms, being ultra-happy, we're ready to go, and they want to change a load of terms and then say it's our fault. What the f***?"
Amendments and Fury's response
Hearn revealed to IFL TV last week that a series of amendments needed for the bout to proceed in America had been forwarded to Sela. The promoter explained the principal alteration relates to Joshua's remuneration due to the differing tax ramifications of competing Stateside.
He said: "In layman's terms, by staging the fight in America, Anthony Joshua receives less money than he would have if the fight were in the UK, where he was contractually agreed."
Fury hit back by lambasting Joshua and Hearn on social media. He declared: "It is what it is. Same old cliche, a decade later. Keep running, you little cowards." In subsequent posts laced with expletives, he added: "I'll move on and fight somebody else, but just know you never had the guts to fight Tyson Fury, ever, you little coward."
