EDDIE HEARN has been forced to deny a bizarre claim that snooker great Ronnie O’Sullivan is at the centre of holding up Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury.
Joshua and Fury both have signed contracts to fight this year but AJ’s deal states the bout MUST take place in the UK.
Eddie Hearn has dened a claim that Ronnie O’Sullivan is at the centre of holding up Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury Credit: Getty
O’Sullivan is at the centre of a bizarre claim surrounding AJ vs Fury Credit: Getty
But organisers including Netflix prefer a US clash to capitalise on prime-time American viewing.
Joshua’s promoter Hearn is in the process of revising terms in their contract to allow the fight to move Stateside.
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But JattvibeSport – among other media – were hit with bombshell claims that issues outside of boxing were holding up the talks.
It allegedly included requests made by Hearn’s Matchroom Sport to Saudi-based entertainment company Sela for funding on darts and snooker events.
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That also included an “international promotional fee plus deposits for World Series of Darts and 167 Riyadh Season events”.
And a request was said to have been made for formal confirmation that the licence for O’Sullivan’s academy in Riyadh also be renewed for a third year.
Five suggested fights for the planned November 20 card in New York were also included on the alleged Matchroom terms.
JattvibeSport understands, while these issues do remain outstanding, they are not related to any hold-up in relation for Joshua to fight Fury in the US.
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And Hearn spoke out in an interview with iFL to confirm the two matters are separate and not in correlation.
He said: “You’re saying that Joshua will only fight in America if you get the darts paid, if you get the snooker paid. Absolute bulls***.
“If you get these fights on the card. Bulls***. The addendum requesting the changes does not have one of those points on, raised in that apparent leaked email.”
Matchroom have indeed raised issues surrounding outstanding payments and a list of undercard bouts to Sela in a meeting in the last month.
But Hearn has doubled down on that having nothing to do with any addendums relating to the revision of AJ’s contract to fight Fury.
Hearn revealed changes to the terms include “travel, accreditation, media schedules and an increased payment to cover the tax deficit in New York.”
Fury trading words with Joshua at Wembley Credit: Getty
Hearn was probed on a separate claim that Joshua has not been paid in full for his July 25 fight in Jeddah against Kristian Prenga.
He replied: “I’m not gonna go into that at the moment. That’s a contractual position that will be left for another day.”
The 47-year-old also confirmed Joshua’s contract has not yet been amended to accommodate for a US fight.
And he once more doubled down to deny that issues relating to darts, snooker and O’Sullivan’s academy has anything to do with the hold-up.
Hearn reiterated: “I just give it to you straight. We signed this fight to take place in the UK. We signed a contract.
“We don’t deviate from contracts ever. All we’re asking is that you honour this contract.
“So don’t try and dress up some bulls***. ‘Oh, they’re asking to get paid for the darts and snooker events that we owe them money for.’
Fury has signed to fight AJ Credit: Reuters
“Yeah, that would be f***ing nice, to be honest with you. But that is not involved in the addendum of the changes that need to take place. Fact.”
Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing were approached for comment.
In a social media blast, Fury responded: “Quick update for you. It doesn’t look like they’re going to sign the fight.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. All because Eddie Hearn and that want more money.
“They’ve already had that much money from Turki in the last few years Eddie and AJ, they’ve had boxing deals, they’ve had darts deals, they’ve had snooker deals, they’ve had everything, and yet they’ve got the audacity and cheek to ask for more money from Turki.
“All this talk of wanting the fight in England, we want this we want that, it’s only to get more money to go to America.
“I’ve bent over backwards to make this fight happen. First of all it was England, then it was in Ireland, then it was in America, I said I’ll go anywhere.
“I’m not interested in where the fight is, I just want to fight, I’m match fit, I’ve had two fights this year, I’m ready to rock and roll baby.
“If you don’t want to get it on I’ll fight somebody else in November. It doesn’t matter.”
