Is there peace between Dana White and Eddie Hearn in our time? Peace may be too strong a word, but Hearn has suggested a deal that would allow White and UFC/Zuffa Boxing parent company TKO to take part in the upcoming superfight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.
White has claimed from the start that his participation is set in stone. But the clauses in The contract with Anthony Joshua Saudi entertainment company SELA is specifically told that the fight must take place in the UK and no TKO may be involved. After weeks of behind-the-scenes shoving and public trash-talking between White and AJ’s manager, Hearn, a fight was declared For the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales – not Madison Square Garden, New York like White and TKO had worked.
And while Hearn and White are still throwing insults at each other, there are signs that Eddie might be willing to let Dana participate in the event… as long as he can hit ‘dull tit’ in the face of future pressers.
Hearn shared that he will be traveling to Los Angeles next week for a big meeting about the fight and that White plans to attend.
“Yeah, it should be with him, yeah,” Hearn said after Saturday night’s Matchroom Ben Whittaker event. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but they can’t get into a fight unless me and Anthony let them. And they seem really desperate to be in a fight. And Turki wants them in a fight, and so does Netflix.”
“It’s great for promotion, so I’m not against it,” he continued. “I want you to tell me and explain why. Why should I? What’s in it for Anthony? What’s in it for us? And once we’ve determined that, we can make a decision. But so far, I don’t think people can deny that it’s been great for the promotion, the build-up, the jump in the fight.”
“But if you’re going to let him come to the press, you’re going to have to let me talk to him. You can’t ask me a question and just try to shut me up there because I want to go back and forth. I have a lot of questions to probe his boxing knowledge of his clients and their potential opponents, things like that.”
The real question is whether the drama of Hearn vs. White adds Fury vs. Joshua to the fight or take it away. While their antics may generate articles in both MMA and boxing media, it also takes away from the fight they all claim to promote.
At a certain point, you really hope the fighters take center stage. Hearn seems interested in keeping the white animosity front and center, or at least as a sort of demented co-stopper. Do we really have to put up with this for more than two months?
