3 hrs ago
3 min read
Eddie Hearn is planning clear-the-air talks with Dana White to put a stop to their long-running feud.
The pair has been taking shots at each other for months as the negotiations about a superfight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury dragged on.
But with the two-time world heavyweight champions finally set to clash in the main event of a Ring card on December 11 in Cardiff, Hearn is ready to bury the hatchet with White.
The Matchroom boss, who has promoted Joshua for the entirety of his career, wants to explore how the Zuffa Boxing head can add value to the promotion.
“I'm going to sit down with Dana, Nick Khan and Turki Alalshkih over these coming days,” Hearn said. “And if there is a way that White can add value to this event, and it will benefit Anthony Joshua or Matchroom or both of us, preferably, we can talk.
“Netflix and Turki Alalshikh would love Dana White involved. So therefore, this isn't an ongoing battle that I'm going to fight for the next three months on this subject. I won.
“This is Turki Alalshikh’s event. It’s promoted by Sela in association with AJ Boxing, Eddie Hearn, Matchroom, Queensberry Promotions, Gold Star and Tyson Fury, that’s it.
“If we want to add Dana White’s name on there so they can stream it on WWE.com, great. I’m not that bothered.
“But this was a battle we had to win for many reasons. And there's definitely an element of the bigger picture of boxing. Do you think we're just going to let you in and come in and just allow you to walk all over people? No chance.”
Hearn and Joshua held firm to the terms of their initial contract to ensure the fight took place in the UK despite efforts to take it to Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 47-year-old has confirmed the decision has cost Joshua an "eight-figure" sum, but the London 2012 Olympic champion always knew the fight should end up on British soil.
“I'll be honest, and I genuinely mean this, Turki Alalshikh always wanted this fight in the UK," Hearn said. "That's what we talked about for years. But all of a sudden, he got talked into it that it could be massive in America.
“I think even he saw the wave of support for the fight in the UK. He knew in his heart and with us making sure that they honored the contract, I just think that in the end, he'll be very happy that he was here.
“Don't get me wrong, MSG's a great venue, but it just wouldn't be the same.
“It was all dragging on and then all of a sudden, people are saying, ‘Please bring the fight to the UK’ and Joshua started feeling that.
“I had to phone him up and talk to him about it but AJ's one of those guys who says, 'Do whatever you think.’ I'm like, ‘No, no, no, no, it's your money.’
“He's got to turn down eight figures plus to keep it in the UK so I told him I can't make that decision for him. He says, ‘What do you think I should do?’ I said, ‘I think the UK is where the place should be.'
“I think there's an element and an edge for him to have this fight in the UK, but it's a lot of money. And he went, ‘F–k it, we'll do it in the UK.’ It means an eight-figure difference in his purse.”
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