Eddie Hearn has sent a scathing reply to Bob Arum after the American promoter accused Hearn of ‘stalling’ negotiations for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. The Matchroom Boxing chief revealed that Arum was not involved in discussions and did not receive a single phone call regarding the fight.
The all-British clash between Joshua and Fury is officially dead in the water after communications dropped last week. Both parties have admitted that the fight will no longer take place on the proposed December 3 date and there have been many accusations made on either side as to why negotiations broke down.
In a recent interview with talkSPORT, Fury’s US promoter Arum placed the blame on Hearn. “Eddie Hearn is stalling everything, because he doesn’t want the fight to happen,” he said. “And why doesn’t he want the fight to happen? Because Joshua’s lost three out of his last five fights and he figures to lose again if he fights Tyson Fury and so Eddie is in effect being an impediment.”
In response to Arum’s comments, Hearn launched a verbal attack on his rival promoter. “Bob Arum hasn’t had one phone call about this fight,” he told iFL TV. “No one from Matchroom has spoken to Bob Arum … he’s just not involved.
The fight between the sons of fierce rivals Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr had been much anticipated by boxing fans. The pair shared one of the fiercest rivalries in British boxing history during the 1990s and captivated audiences around the world. When they first met in November 1990 there wasn’t a single empty seat in the NEC as Eubank overcame early adversity to stop Benn in the ninth round.
Three years later, when they rematched at Old Trafford, half a billion people tuned into the grudge match worldwide. On the night, it was declared a split draw, a result which is still heavily contested by both parties to this day.
Despite a £6 million trilogy bout at Wembley stadium being touted for 1995, a third fight never took place. Now, one day short of the 29th anniversary of the second fight, Benn and Eubank Jr are scheduled to settle the score once and for all.