For over a month, Eddie Hearn has returned to the same topic whenever Fury-Joshua is discussed: Dana White and Zuffa Boxing. His latest comments were no different.
Asked about various topics throughout the interview, Hearn repeatedly circled back to White, Zuffa Boxing, and who would ultimately receive credit for staging the biggest fight in British boxing history.
“I don’t want peace to be honest. I haven’t had this much fun since the Warren days,” Hearn told iFL TV.
Hearn later made it clear that he had no interest in ending the rivalry.
Embrace the rivalry emphatically
“I don’t want to play nice and Dana doesn’t want to play nice. Listen, I respect Dana in the sense that he’s a good competitor and he wants a war with me and he picked the right geyser cause i feel like it, measurement.”
He also suggested that the feud has become a recurring topic whenever White speaks publicly.
“Right now, every single Dana White press conference is basically about Eddie Hearn.”
Hearn insisted that under the current deal, Dana White and TKO would not make Fury vs. Joshua cannot promote and said the contract also specifies that the fight must take place in the United Kingdom. He added that any move to the United States or any promotion role for White would require a renegotiation of the existing agreement.
At the same time, Hearn admitted that he would be willing to discuss changes if it would benefit Anthony Joshua.
This is where the situation gets interesting.
On the one hand, Hearn says the focus is on delivering the fight Joshua wants. On the other hand, much of his public commentary centered on White’s role, White’s ambitions in boxing and the ongoing rivalry between Matchroom and Zuffa.
Defense of traditional box grass
The concern is understandable. If White becomes attached to Fury-Joshua in a leading promotional role, it will give Zuffa Boxing instant credibility and another recruiting tool in his effort to attract elite fighters.
Hearn has already seen Conor Benn fight under the Zuffa banner, while Johnny Fisher recently revealed he wanted Matchroom to have the opportunity to match or come close to an offer he received elsewhere. Hearn’s response was blunt, admitting that the figures discussed were far beyond what Matchroom could justify for the level of opposition involved.
These developments help explain why the Dana White topic continues to come up.
The bigger issue may not be Fury vs. Not Joshua himself. The bigger issue is what comes after. If Zuffa can attach itself to the sport’s biggest events and continue to offer purses that traditional promoters struggle to match, the balance of power in boxing could begin to shift.
Fury-Joshua remains unsigned for a venue and date. But judging by Hearn’s recent comments, his most persistent battle isn’t with Tyson Fury’s team.
It’s with Dana White.
