Eddie Hearn has guaranteed the huge heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will go ahead despite Bob Arum’s reservations.
Fury’s co-promoter recently said he is skeptical about whether it will happen and blind-sided Hearn with his doubts.
‘If I had to bet whether the Tyson Fury versus Anthony Joshua fight would happen or not, I would say no’, the 90-year-old American told RingTV.
Bob Arum (left) said he is doubtful about whether Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury will go ahead
Eddie Hearn is adamant that the bout will happen and could be announced next week
‘Eddie is desperate, he has one more fight with AJ, and he wants it to be the fight against Fury.
‘But if a fight against Tyson is delayed, to the winter, then AJ has to fight Oleksandr Usyk, and that’s not that big a fight. Eddie is a desperado here.’
A date and location for their bout is edging ever closer, with latest reports claiming that Saudi Arabia will pay a staggering £108million to play host.
And Hearn has hit back at his rival promoter, telling talkSPORT: ‘I’m a bit worried about Bob Arum.
‘I last communicated with Bob Arum on Thursday and Friday of last week and he gave an interview last night to say he hasn’t heard from me for two weeks.
‘Five days ago he was telling everyone, ‘It’s done, it’s in Saudi Arabia, this is the deal, etc. It’s not as easy as just a 24-hour turnaround of a long-form agreement for a fight of this magnitude.
Hearn said that Arum’s doubts are unfounded and believes a deal is almost done
‘We’re supposed to be partners on this fight. The only one I see doing any work on this fight at all is me. And I won’t stop until we’ve got the fight made.
‘So we’re on the verge. We have an agreement, we have a signed contract, we have a site agreement that’s been accepted and now we put it in a long-form agreement and you get an announcement next week.’
Hearn continued: ‘I don’t know whether Bob’s on the wind-up, trying to put the pressure on. He’s 90 years old, so you’ve gotta respect him.
‘I messaged him last night with the quote that I saw as if to say, ‘What is this all about?’
‘He sort of goes, “Well, you know, gotta move quicker.” I said, “No, I’m moving as fast as I can.”
‘But it’s all been left to me basically. The whole thing. Everyone’s just sitting there saying, “Eddie’s gotta hurry up, Eddie’s gotta do this.”
Arum is not pulling his weight in organizing the heavyweight showdown, says Hearn
‘We’re supposed to be co-promoters in this fight. I’m the only one that’s been out traipsing around the world to make sure we get this fight happening.
‘And I promise you this fight will happen, I’ll make sure this fight happens.’
In terms of a time frame, Hearn added: ‘Bob Arum has not dealt with a site deal the size of this before, leave it to me, hold tight, we’ll get it done. I think if we’re not done by the end of next week then we do have a problem.
‘I believe you’ll get an announcement next week, I do. I’m a one-man army going out to make this fight.
‘If you’re gonna leave it to me, be quiet and wait for the contract to come in. It’s on.
‘Everybody’s agreed that this fight is happening and I cannot wait because Tyson Fury is going to get knocked out by Anthony Joshua.’
Fury took to Instagram to call out Anthony Joshua once again on Wednesday; He boldly claimed that he would quit in his corner if AJ went beyond three rounds with him
Arum called Hearn a desperado and said Joshua only has one big fight left in him
Meanwhile, Fury has taken to social media to take aim at his great domestic rival, saying: ‘While I’m on a rant,’ he began, to his 4.1m followers, ‘I may as well call out one more person. A big, useless dosser. Not a real fighting man. A hype job. Bodybuild(er), crossfit, big, ugly s***house. That’s Anthony Joshua.
‘AJ, if you’re out there, let’s make this fight happen, you big dosser. You big s***house bum dosser. I’m gonna smash your face in, too, and there’s not one thing you can do about it. Prove me wrong, sucker. Prove me wrong. I’m number one, uno.
‘AJ, if you go past three rounds with me, I’ll quit in the corner, because that’s how confident I am [of] taking you cold out within the first two, three rounds. Out, out like a light switch.’
Fury confirmed earlier this week that the first of a two-fight contract with Joshua will take place in July, with the 24th and 31st both previously touted as options.