Eddie Hearn Reacts To Tyson Fury Vs. Oleksandr Usyk Fight Being Announced

By Jake Tiernan: Eddie Hearn says he’s “happy” on the announcement of the mega-fight between heavyweight champions Tyson Fury & Oleksandr Usyk for December twenty third in Saudi Arabia.

Whereas insisting that he’s not in in the least envious at listening to the information of the Fury-Usyk struggle occurring, Hearn says it’s NOT the largest struggle in boxing. He believes that Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is the largest.

Curiously, Hearn throws in Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. within the dialogue for the largest fights within the sport, which is difficult to swallow as a result of that’s a domestic-level scrap between two Brits that by no means gained world titles and sure by no means will.

Benn-Eubank is the equal of a low-level movie star match between two spoiled, underachieving fighters profiting from having well-known dads.

It’s received to be worrying for Hearn that the Saudis selected to not stage Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder struggle of their nation and as an alternative selected Fury-Francis Ngannou & Fury-Usyk.

May or not it’s that the Saudis view Joshua as washed up on account of his current losses two losses to Usyk and his timid performances towards fringe contenders Jermaine Franklin & Robert Helenius?

Fury vs. Usyk = good for boxing

“I knew it was being negotiated. I didn’t understand it was going to be introduced final evening. I believe it’s nice for boxing,” stated Eddie Hearn to iFL TV, reacting to the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk struggle being introduced for December in Saudi Arabia.

The one factor that can cease Fury vs. Usyk from occurring in December is an damage for the Gypsy King in his October twenty eighth bout towards Francis Ngannou.

“I hope it occurs. It will be large for the game. It’s the struggle Fury ought to be taking. It’s the struggle he ought to have taken beforehand to now, but when it will get over the road and if it occurs, it could be unbelievable,” stated Hearn.

What Hearn ought to be regarding himself about is why the Saudis have chosen to not stage the Joshua vs. Wilder struggle of their nation.

For those who’re as rich because the Saudis who’re funding Fury’s fights towards Usyk & Ngannou, you have to be postpone by how Joshua has appeared in all of his fights since 2019.

Joshua seems to be mentally & bodily shot, and the timidity he’s displayed since his rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr. makes him a poor candidate to have a mountain of cash thrown at him by the Saudis.

“It’s good for the ecosystem of boxing as a result of the very first thing I take into consideration is, ‘I’ve received my Joshua-Wilder, and I’ve received to make Benn-Eubank.’ So it simply retains the whole lot aggressive, and it additionally makes different international locations aggressive as properly to convey massive fights there,” stated Hearn.

“It makes me wish to make Benn-Eubank within the UK a bit bit extra as a result of I fear that Usyk towards Fury in Saudi Arabia, Benn-Eubank in Abu Dhabi, Joshua-Wilder in Qatar, or Las Vegas, it’s not nice for British boxing.

“I perceive, clearly, we’re going the place the cash is. That’s what the fighters need, however hopefully, we will convey a kind of fights to the UK as a result of in any other case, I believe there’s not going to be the large fights within the UK that we will convey,” stated Hearn.

Is Fury-Usyk the largest struggle in sport?

“Look, December twenty third is our day proposed date for Benn-Eubank. I’ve made that fairly clear, but when Fury-Usyk goes, it’s not nice information for both struggle, and both we must step down, or they must transfer it,”  stated Hearn.

Clearly, Hearn goes to have to maneuver the Benn vs. Eubank Jr. struggle off the December twenty third date as a result of it’s not going to have the ability to compete with the a lot greater world match between Fury & Usyk. British followers are the one ones who care about Benn-Eubank Jr and received to imagine these are the ultra-hardcore selection as a result of that’s extra of a YouTuber/influencer-type affair.

“I believe they’re each enormous fights, however hopefully, they’ll occur away from one another at totally different occasions, and like I stated, hopefully, we will convey Joshua-Wilder or Benn-Eubank to the UK,” stated Hearn.

No,” stated Hearn when requested if Fury vs. Usyk is the largest struggle in boxing. “Fury towards AJ,” stated Hearn when requested what IS the largest struggle within the sport. “However it’s a large [fight], and it’s not far behind.

“I solely say that as a result of whenever you’ve received two world stars, industrial giants combating one another like FuryAJ, it’s greater, and Usyk’s not the worldwide star, however he’s a unified heavyweight world champion. It’s a large struggle first
undisputed struggle since 1999.

“It’s an enormous struggle, 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 stated, it’s good even getting certainly one of them.

“I do know we don’t received a date [for  Fury vs. Usyk], and something might occur, however it’s actually very optimistic, and I believe when the cash’s there, it reveals you the fights will occur.

“However freak cash like we’re seeing for this struggle and Joshua-Wilder and stuff like that comes round as soon as so typically, however when it does come; it’s nice to see fights occurring,” stated Hearn.

No envy or jealousy

“Not within the slightest. I’m happy for boxing, I’m happy for Tyson Fury, and I’m very happy for Oleksandr Usyk,” stated Hearn when requested if he’s envious of Frank Warren & Alex Krassyuk placing collectively the profitable Fury vs. Usyk struggle.

“We want these fights as a result of I don’t. I don’t have a look at it like, ‘Oh, I’m gutted. They’ve made that struggle.’ I have a look at it and go, ‘Nice.’ It’s going to make different international locations that we’re speaking to, and me say, ‘Come on, you wish to be a participant? Let’s make this struggle.’

“So even because the struggle was introduced final evening, we’ve had two or three conversations with folks we’re speaking to saying, ‘Oh, we wish to become involved now.’ So it’s nice, like I stated, for the ecosystem of boxing, and I had no envy in any respect. My life don’t function like that, truthfully.

“Like possibly after I was 23, 24, however I believe it’s the right [time]. I’ve all the time stated that these fights that ought to have occurred, it ought to have occurred by now, and hopefully, it does occur,” stated Hearn.