Eddie Hearn Points Fingers Over Fury vs. Joshua Delay

The British blockbuster heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua was more of a fantasy bout until recently. Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, has a very different explanation. Rather than pointing the finger at his fighter, Hearn has taken aim at TKO (Zuffa Boxing), claiming the company attempted to go around him and offer Joshua money to move the long-awaited fight from Britain to the United States. The former heavyweight champion has blamed Joshua for the latest delay, launching an expletive-filled attack on his fellow Briton and questioning whether he ever wanted the fight in the first place. After more than a decade of waiting, it finally appeared to be within touching distance. Now, it may be slipping away again. Tyson Fury has seemingly lost patience with the stalled negotiations and turned his attention toward a trilogy fight with Oleksandr Usyk. The latest dispute appears to center on one major sticking point: where Fury and Joshua will finally meet. The blockbuster was widely expected to take place in November, with Madison Square Garden in New York emerging as the leading option. However, Joshua's camp has remained firm on its preference for Wembley Stadium. For Hearn, though, that is not simply a matter of picking a venue. The 47-year-old believes Joshua agreed to fight Fury in Britain, and that commitment should be respected. Speaking to DAZN following Katie Taylor's farewell fight in Dublin, Hearn claimed TKO (UFC's parent company) had attempted to persuade Joshua directly to accept a move to America. 'Yesterday, TKO went around the back again to try and offer (Anthony) Joshua money to do the (Tyson Fury) fight in America,' Hearn lambasted. He was clearly frustrated with the approach. Eddie Hearn Said Joshua Wanted to Fight at Home He added, 'It's a dirty, dirty game. It has made it even harder for them now because Joshua just ain't about that. 'You've got an hour and a half to make your decision.' What don't you understand? You can't buy everybody, especially the ones who it means something.' Furthermore, Joshua's stance to fight on home soil, as per Hearn, has only strengthened his resolve. What Happened With Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua? The Fury-Joshua fight had been in the works for months and, after years of false starts, appeared to have finally been signed earlier this year. The expectation was that the two former heavyweight champions would meet in November in what would easily rank among the biggest all-British fights in boxing history. But the agreement has since run into problems, with the location becoming a major point of contention. Joshua's side wants Wembley Stadium. 'The Gypsy King's' team, along with those involved in putting the event together, has been pushing to stage the event at MSG in New York. According to various reports, the American venue appeals to the event's financing and broadcasting interests, with a larger U.S. audience and Netflix involvement adding to its appeal. Tyson Fury in War of Words with Anthony Joshua, Then Targets Usyk With the fight dragging on, tensions were mounting, and it did boil over. Fury accused Joshua of being unwilling to fight him, saying that the 37-year-old 's**t his pants' while addressing the situation on social media. He also called Joshua 'weak-minded' and suggested that the stalled negotiations had left him looking elsewhere for an opponent. Fury then turned directly toward the man who had already beaten him twice, Oleksandr Usyk In a recent Instagram post, Fury mocked Joshua, stating, 'Oleksandr, you're his trainer and his sensei, and you know he is a weak-minded piece of s**t and that he would never fight the Gypsy King, which you have had the guts to do twice.' He then presented the Ukrainian with the challenge. 'You got the decision last time, fair play to you. Good luck to you but let's do it again. Let's run it back in November.'