“A guy who’s supposed to be one of the promoters of the event, I’ve never seen somebody do more damage to a fight than this guy has done. You’re supposed to be promoting your guy, and in the busted-up system right now, you go wherever the money is. It’s one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen. Eddie Hearn just keeps hurting the fight. A fight that should have happened 10 years ago,” White told talkSPORT Boxing.
While White never pinpointed specific grievances, his frustration clearly stems from Hearn’s public friction with TKO. Hearn has loudly questioned the proposed location, defended Joshua’s contractual standing, and voiced anger over organizers trying to cut him out of discussions.
Hearn wants to stage the bout on British soil, raising red flags over proposals from outside backers. Standing up for Joshua makes business sense, but running a public relations campaign in the press naturally invited White’s sharp response.
Hearn finds himself backed into a corner. He cannot sign Joshua up for an unfavorable contract, but airing his grievances publicly makes the entire enterprise look shaky. White operates under a simpler code: when fortunes are at stake, you sign the paperwork and get out of the way.
That mindset brushes aside genuine roadblocks, including venue choices, broadcast rights, and promotional authority. Hearn has plenty of reasons to protect his territory. Still, White is right about the hazard of haggling through microphones.
Fury and Joshua have spent a decade dancing around this bout without trading a single punch. Time is running out for two heavyweights entering the twilight of their athletic primes.
Should negotiations fall apart again, supporters will not care which legal stipulation, arena bid, or executive killed the deal. People will only remember that boxing let this generational clash slip away while the money and public appetite were right there for the taking.
