Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua is OFF. Bob Arum has confirmed that Eddie Hearn cannot deliver what he promised in time for the summer.
The Top Rank boss insists the WBC heavyweight champion will now move on to pastures new and revisit the Joshua clash once Hearn has all his ducks in a row.
Hearn has stated on many occasions that “the deal is done,” and they are just waiting for the site. Hall of Famer Arum has certainly never believed those words.
Fury’s UK promoter Frank Warren and his father John have shared their skepticism at what the Matchroom boss has claimed.
BOB ARUM
Arum spoke to Gareth A. Davies of The Telegraph to divulge information that WBN had expected for some time.
He told Davies: “Firstly, it will take months for the Saudis to do their due diligence on such a huge deal.
“It is not just a site fee. There are ancillary demands from the Saudis stretching into the broadcast deals and other things.
“It could take months for it all to play out. It could even take until 2022, the way it looks right now.
“The fight in July or August is dead in the water as far as we are concerned.
“The two fighters need to go and have other fights this summer while the negotiations for that fight in the Middle East conclude.”
FURY vs. WILDER III
Deontay Wilder now comes back into play for Fury. Furthermore, the pair will likely begin talks on a summer blockbuster trilogy collision.
“The Gypsy King” had initially walked away from the fight, but Hearn’s false dawns meant it’s the only viable option for a huge event.
JOSHUA vs. USYK
Regarding Joshua, the unified ruler may now be forced to put his belts on the line against Oleksandr Usyk as the mandatory challenger.
The time it’s taken for Fury vs. Joshua to fall apart has meant there’s little time for any other maneuver.
Usyk is the number one stipulated challenger and wants his shot as soon as possible. It could take place in the UK around late July.
UK fans will be happy to see AJ back on British soil again, but they won’t be pleased to see yet another undisputed unification collapse under Hearn’s watch.
Back in 2018, Hearn was blamed by Wilder and his team for moving the goalposts on an agreed deal.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
