Eddie Hearn: It’s LAZINESS for Wilder vs. Fury 2 not to have a press tour

By Boxing News - 12/31/2019 - Comments

By Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn thinks it’s a BIG mistake on Tyson Fury and Top Rank’s part for them not to be doing a media promotional tour for the rematch with WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder on February 22. According to Hearn, there’s no way that he wouldn’t be doing a big media tour for a fight the magnitude of the Wilder vs. Fury II rematch.

Having Fury try and drum up interest in his fight with Wilder during college bowl games could be a mistake, a big mistake. To casual fan that has never seen him before, it wasn’t the right atmosphere for him to explain who he is.

What Fury needed instead was someone that could build his credibility. It’s one thing for an unknown foreign fighter to crow about themselves to U.S fans, but it means more if it’s someone that they’re familiar with that is saying how great the guy is. Fury needed a football player or someone to introduce him to the fans, and then have that guy do most of the talking.

Arum says media tour is unnecessary for Wilder vs. Fury 2

Fury’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said that instead of doing a media tour, they’re advertising the fight during the college football bowl games and during the Super Bowl. Arum believes that with all the fans that are tuning in to watch the bowl games, that it makes a media tour unnecessary. However, Fury’s air time during the college bowl game last weekend appeared to occur well BEFORE the game started, and it was empty stadium.

“So when people say, ‘When are you going to have a proper press conference?’ and the answer is never,” said Arum to IFL TV on the Wilder vs. Fury 2 rematch.  “Both fighters will be at the national championships, which will take place in 10 days,” said Arum of Fury and Wilder. “Even better, both fighters will be at the Super Bowl, which will have 90 million people watching just in the United States. So who needs press conferences when you can get that kind of exposure,” said Arum.

It likely saves Top Rank and PBC a lot of money by them not doing a media news tour, but they’re taking a big risk by not going the traditional way in drumming interest from the casual boxing fans in the United States.

They’re promoting the fight in front of the WRONG audience, and the message might not be well received. What’s more, Fury seemed like he was bragging about himself too much during his time on College Game Day, it seemed off-putting. The hosts on ESPN looked put off by Fury’s bragging, and one could tell it wasn’t going over well. Also, Fury could defensive when asked about being dropped by Wilder in the 12th.

Hearn: How can you NOT do a media tour for Wilder-Fury II? 

“Great fight,” said Hearn about the Wilder vs. Fury 2 rematch on February 29. “I got stock for saying the first fight wasn’t a great fight. It wasn’t fight. It was unbelievably dramatic. The 12th round was epic, and what happened with the knockdown was great. Big fight for the heavyweight division, and a good fight for boxing. Joshua wants the winner.

“I do not understand NOT doing a press tour,” said Hearn. “It’s just lazy. And it’s laziness, because why wouldn’t you do a press tour. ‘Oh, it’s because they’re going on a big college football show, so they don’t need to do a press tour.’ Of course, you need to. You’re telling me for a fight of that magnitude, you’re not going to do a media tour. So how can you not do a media tour for that? I don’t understand. I might bid for it,” said Hearn when asked if he’s going to bid for the fight.

Hearn brings up a very good point in questioning whether it was laziness on the part of the promoters for them not to be doing a Wilder-Fury promotional tour.

Even if the fight were in the UK, you wouldn’t see Hearn choosing to skip the media tour in order to promote the fight during soccer [football] games. That would be a lame way to promote the fight by doing it on the cheap, and then saying how much better is.

Fury should have INSISTED on media tour for Wilder fight – Hearn

“I wish they’d do a media tour,” said Hearn of the Wilder vs. Fury 2 fight. “Can you imagine with those two characters, Fury and Wilder, and can you imagine me going, ‘You know what? I think we don’t need a media tour.’ I’d be straight on a plane. London, New York, LA, wherever, Timbuktu, I don’t give a f—. Get it on. Whatever it costs, do it. I wonder if Wilder don’t want to be around Fury?

“If I was Fury, I would have insisted on the media tour,” said Hearn. “One of the ways that Fury wins the fight is by doing the media tours, and getting in Wilder’s head. It’s a disadvantage for Tyson Fury NOT to have a media tour. Think about it. Would he have won that fight with [Wladimir] Klitschko if he didn’t have that first press conference prior to camp, and a sit down face-t0-face?,” said Hearn.

It definitely is a negative for Fury not to have a media tour, because he can’t be seen in getting in the face of Wilder to try and play his mental games on him. Furthermore, if Fury never gets a chance to face off with Wilder until the weigh-in, then hurts him.

Top Rank could do a media tour in addition to the advertising during the football games. Yeah, it would cost to have a media tour, but the fight is going to do great numbers. It’s not like the undercard is loaded with a mess of high priced fighters.

Hearn confirms Sky bidding on Wilder vs. Fury 2 fight

“Luckily, Bob Arum has a bigger mouth than me, so he’s told the world what’s happened, which quoting Bob Arum is, ‘We’ve had a big offer from Sky. BT had the right to match it, but that is all,'” said Hearn. “I’m surprised, BT, they’ve had to put on all these drab fights from Fury [against Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin], and now they have the big kahuna [Wilder], and they don’t even have it.

“So yes, there’s been an offer from Sky,” said Hearn about Sky bidding on the Wilder vs. Fury II rematch. “It’s a substantial offer, but it’s a substantial fight. Now BT is in an awkward position where they have to match the offer, where their platform says they can’t deliver those kinds of numbers.

Man, if Sky winds up getting the broadcasting rights to televise the Wilder vs. Fury 2 rematch in the UK, that would be a big feather in their cap. Hearn seems confident that Sky will be the one that ultimately shows the fight in the UK.

Hearn: Warren can’t afford to lose Wilder-Fury 2 fight for BT

“You have to understand, this isn’t boxing people that made this decision,” said Hearn. “It’s finance people, and board of director level. Where they look at the numbers, ‘That’s now a risk for us.’ Why would they do a pay-per-view in the first place? to make money. No they end up losing money. So, ‘No thank you.’ From Frank’s point of view, he can’t afford to lose this fight for BT, because he would look ridiculous. But he’s got to do it.

“He pawned it off very nicely in your interview the other day, where he said, ‘It’s up to BT if they want it,’ which is surely not the spirit of the deal,” said Hearn about Warren. “When Tyson Fury gets a big fight, someone else gets it. That’s not really how it works, but that’s how it works now. BT, as you’ve seen with Bob Arum, what he said is right.

“If they want to fight, they’ve got to pay up and get it. Hoorah for Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder by the way. But strange. If it ends up on Sky, we win. If it doesn’t, then BT ends up getting what they should have gotten in the first place. It’s interesting. A little soap opera within that fight, isn’t it? I hope Tyson Fury wins. It’s a big fight, and an intriguing fight. He won the first fight. It’s a great fight for boxing,” said Hearn.

If BT fails to show the Wilder vs. Fury 2 fight, that would be shocking.

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