Eddie Hearn has reiterated his intention to continue his public rivalry with Dana White as discussions around a potential Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua fight continue, with the Matchroom chairman repeatedly returning to the subject of White and Zuffa Boxing during a recent interview.
Hearn spent much of a lengthy appearance with iFL TV discussing the long-anticipated heavyweight showdown between Fury and Joshua, but repeatedly focused on White’s involvement in boxing and the prospect of Zuffa Boxing playing a role in the event. The comments come as speculation continues over how a future Fury-Joshua fight could be promoted.
“I don’t want peace if I’m honest. I haven’t had this much fun since the Warren days,” said Hearn, according to iFL TV, as noted by BoxingNews24. Hearn later made clear he has no interest in ending the rivalry with the UFC president and boxing promoter.
“I don’t want to play nice and Dana don’t want to play nice. Listen, I respect Dana in the sense of he’s a great competitor and if he wants a war with me and he’s picked the right geezer because I’m bang up for it, mate,” said Hearn. Hearn also claimed, “At the moment, every single Dana White press conference is basically about Eddie Hearn.”
Hearn said the existing agreement surrounding Fury versus Joshua does not permit White or TKO to promote the fight and requires the event to take place in the United Kingdom. He added that any move to the United States or any promotional involvement from White would require a renegotiation of the current deal, although he indicated he would consider changes if they benefited Joshua.
The comments come amid growing attention on Zuffa Boxing’s presence in the sport. Hearn has recently seen Conor Benn compete under the Zuffa banner, while rising heavyweight Johnny Fisher has publicly discussed receiving offers elsewhere. Fury versus Joshua has yet to be finalized with a venue or date, but Hearn’s latest remarks suggest his ongoing rivalry with White remains a significant subplot as negotiations continue.
