By Jake Tiernan: Eddie Hearn says he’s “pleased” at the announcement of the mega-fight between heavyweight champions Tyson Fury & Oleksandr Usyk for December 23rd in Saudi Arabia.
While insisting that he’s not in the least bit envious at hearing the news of the Fury-Usyk fight happening, Hearn says it’s NOT the biggest fight in boxing. He believes that Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is the biggest.
Interestingly, Hearn throws in Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. in the discussion for the biggest fights in the sport, which is hard to swallow because that’s a domestic-level scrap between two Brits that never won world titles and likely never will.
Benn-Eubank is the equivalent of a low-level celebrity match between two spoiled, underachieving fighters taking advantage of having famous dads.
It’s got to be worrying for Hearn that the Saudis chose not to stage Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder fight in their country and instead chose Fury-Francis Ngannou & Fury-Usyk.
Could it be that the Saudis view Joshua as washed up due to his recent losses two losses to Usyk and his timid performances against fringe contenders Jermaine Franklin & Robert Helenius?
Fury vs. Usyk = good for boxing
“I knew it was being negotiated. I didn’t know it was going to be announced last night. I think it’s great for boxing,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV, reacting to the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight being announced for December in Saudi Arabia.
The only thing that will stop Fury vs. Usyk from happening in December is an injury for the Gypsy King in his October 28th bout against Francis Ngannou.
“I hope it happens. It would be massive for the sport. It’s the fight Fury should be taking. It’s the fight he should have taken previously to now, but if it gets over the line and if it happens, it would be fantastic,” said Hearn.
What Hearn should be concerning himself about is why the Saudis have chosen not to stage the Joshua vs. Wilder fight in their country.
If you’re as wealthy as the Saudis who are funding Fury’s fights against Usyk & Ngannou, you must be put off by how Joshua has looked in all of his fights since 2019.
Joshua looks mentally & physically shot, and the timidity he’s displayed since his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. makes him a poor candidate to have a mountain of money thrown at him by the Saudis.
“It’s good for the ecosystem of boxing because the first thing I think about is, ‘I’ve got my Joshua-Wilder, and I’ve got to make Benn-Eubank.’ So it just keeps everything competitive, and it also makes other countries competitive as well to bring big fights there,” said Hearn.
“It makes me want to make Benn-Eubank in the UK a little bit more because I worry that Usyk against Fury in Saudi Arabia, Benn-Eubank in Abu Dhabi, Joshua-Wilder in Qatar, or Las Vegas, it’s not great for British boxing.
“I understand, obviously, we’re going where the money is. That’s what the fighters want, but hopefully, we can bring one of those fights to the UK because otherwise, I think there’s not going to be the massive fights in the UK that we can bring,” said Hearn.
Is Fury-Usyk the biggest fight in sport?
“Look, December 23rd is our day proposed date for Benn-Eubank. I’ve made that pretty clear, but if Fury-Usyk goes, it’s not great news for either fight, and either we would have to step down, or they would have to move it,” said Hearn.
Obviously, Hearn is going to have to move the Benn vs. Eubank Jr. fight off the December 23rd date because it’s not going to be able to compete with the much bigger global match between Fury & Usyk. British fans are the only ones who care about Benn-Eubank Jr and got to believe those are the ultra-hardcore variety because that’s more of a YouTuber/influencer-type affair.
“I think they’re both huge fights, but hopefully, they can happen away from each other at different times, and like I said, hopefully, we can bring Joshua-Wilder or Benn-Eubank to the UK,” said Hearn.
No,” said Hearn when asked if Fury vs. Usyk is the biggest fight in boxing. “Fury against AJ,” said Hearn when asked what IS the biggest fight in the sport. “But it’s a massive [fight], and it’s not far behind.
“I only say that because when you’ve got two global stars, commercial giants fighting each other like FuryAJ, it’s bigger, and Usyk’s not the global star, but he’s a unified heavyweight world champion. It’s a massive fight first
undisputed fight since 1999.
“It’s a huge fight, and it’s up there. Look, AJ-Fury, AJ-Wilder, Fury-Usyk, Benn [vs. Eubank Jr]. They’re all mega, mega fights, and like I said, it’s good even getting one of them.
“I know we don’t got a date [for Fury vs. Usyk], and anything could happen, but it’s certainly very positive, and I think when the money’s there, it shows you the fights will happen.
“But freak money like we’re seeing for this fight and Joshua-Wilder and stuff like that comes around once so often, but when it does come; it’s great to see fights happening,” said Hearn.
No envy or jealousy
“Not in the slightest. I’m pleased for boxing, I’m pleased for Tyson Fury, and I’m very pleased for Oleksandr Usyk,” said Hearn when asked if he’s envious of Frank Warren & Alex Krassyuk putting together the lucrative Fury vs. Usyk fight.
“We need those fights because I don’t. I don’t look at it like, ‘Oh, I’m gutted. They’ve made that fight.’ I look at it and go, ‘Great.’ It’s going to make other countries that we’re talking to, and me say, ‘Come on, you want to be a player? Let’s make this fight.’
“So even since the fight was announced last night, we’ve had two or three conversations with people we’re talking to saying, ‘Oh, we want to get involved now.’ So it’s great, like I said, for the ecosystem of boxing, and I had no envy at all. My life don’t operate like that, honestly.
“Like maybe when I was 23, 24, but I think it’s the perfect [time]. I’ve always said that these fights that should have happened, it should have happened by now, and hopefully, it does happen,” said Hearn.
