Dana White would not put a number on the chances of Tyson Fury fighting Anthony Joshua in Cardiff on December 11. Instead, he blamed Eddie Hearn for making the bout harder to stage, adding to the public pressure on Joshua’s promoter ahead of the planned launch press conference.
“That I don’t know,” White said when asked whether the fight would happen. Pressed for a percentage in an exchange during last night’s press conference.
“Oh, percentage. Well, the guy who’s supposed to be helping the fight has been hurting the fight the entire time. He hasn’t done the fight any favors, let’s put it that way. But we’ll see.”
White gave no figure and offered no specific example. His choice to identify Hearn, however, shifts the public question from what remains unresolved to why Hearn is holding it up. Fury has also criticized Hearn since the announcement, leaving Joshua’s camp to answer claims that it stands between fans and the fight.
That pressure could matter in a dispute over who promotes the event and how the fighters are presented. Hearn has challenged White’s involvement, citing terms in Joshua’s contract. White, meanwhile, has spoken as though he has a role in the promotion. Neither man’s public comments settle what the agreements actually permit.
The uncertainty is now running against the clock. White said the parties should know more in three or four days, around the time of the planned kickoff press conference. That event will be difficult to stage convincingly if the people behind Fury and Joshua still disagree over who can represent the fight.
White did not declare Fury–Joshua dead. He said he doesn’t know if it will happen, then directly accused Hearn. For a December stadium show already announced to fans, that is a troubling place to be.
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