‘The fight’s not big enough’: Eddie Hearn claims Tyson Fury’s bout with Oleksandr Usyk is not being hosted in Saudi Arabia because it ‘doesn’t involve Anthony Joshua’, claiming his fighter ‘may be the only guy who can command that kind of money’
Eddie Hearn has claimed that Tyson Fury’s upcoming bout against Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship is ‘not big enough’ to be hosted in Saudi Arabia.
The pair are set to do battle in April, with SportsMail exclusively reporting last week that the fight could be held at Wembley Stadium in London, after Saudi Arabian bidders were unable to confirm that construction of their new stadium in Jeddah could be completed in time.
While bigger riches are on offer for fights in the Middle East, Hearn, has claimed that the only boxer that can attract the money to fight there is his Matchroom Boxing client, Anthony Joshua.
‘The fight’s not big enough,’ the Promoter said, per BoxingScene. ‘The fight’s not big enough for the money Tyson Fury wants because it doesn’t involve Anthony Joshua.
‘[Joshua] may be the only guy that can command that kind of money, but hopefully we can make Tyson Fury [fight] against Anthony Joshua, and then Tyson will get the numbers he wants.’
Eddie Hearn says Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk ‘is not big enough’ to be hosted in Saudi Arabia
The pair could do battle later this April, with Wembley Stadium being touted as the host venue
Joshua has fought twice in the country before, beating Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah in 2019 and losing his second bout to Usyk via split decision at the Jeddah Superdome just last year.
But, it has been a difficult few months for the Matchroom boxer, who after recovering from a tough loss to the Ukrainian, will now go head-to-head against Jermaine Franklin later this April.
Hearn has now gone on the record twice now saying that a bout between Joshua and the Gypsy King could happen, if the former Heavyweight champion can beat Franklin this year.
Meanwhile, talks between Fury, 34, and Usyk,36, have been raging for some time but could be nearing a head.
But Hearn believes his fighter Joshua (left) is the only boxer in the division that can command the money associated with hosting a fight in Saudi Arabia
Fury’s (left) team, meanwhile, have reportedly booked out Wembley in anticipation of the fight
Both are undefeated in their careers, with the Ukrainian holding all of Joshua’s old WBA Super, IBF, IBO and WBO titles, and Fury’s old Ring Magazine belt.
In the other corner, Fury gained custody of the WBC belt after he defeated Deontay Wilder in 2022, meaning the winner of this match-up will become the first unified heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis held the accolade in 2000.
The British boxer has always had a preference to fight in front of his home crowd, with Fury’s Queensberry Promoters notably booking out Wembley in anticipation for the bout, which could take place on April 29.
Negotiations between the pair are reportedly ‘getting close’ according to promoter Bob Arum
And according to promoter Bob Arum, the negotiations around the fight could be getting close.
‘We’re looking to put the fight at Wembley stadium and we’re getting close with the negotiations with both Usyk and his promoter K2 and with Tyson,’ Arum told iD Boxing.
‘So hopefully we can get busy with that fight as early as next week and get the thing going.
‘We would like very much to do a press conference not only in London but to bring the fighters over to New York and to do a press conference in New York as well.’
