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Eddie Hearn slates Fury vs Joshua undercard and claims Dana White involvement

Hearn said he has nothing to do with the three fights supporting Tyson Fury’s main event against Anthony Joshua

Eddie Hearn has expressed major criticism of the undercard for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, saying he has had “nothing to do with it”.

On 11 December, Fury and Joshua will headline at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in arguably the biggest British fight of all time. Last week brought the news that Deontay Wilder will box Jai Opetaia in the chief-support bout, and Thursday brought confirmation of two more fights for the main card.

Those bouts will be heavyweight contests, like Fury vs Joshua and Wilder vs Opetaia, as Martin Bakole fights Solomon Adebayo and Da’Mazion Vanhouter boxes Michael Essomba. The preliminary undercard is yet to be announced.

Eddie Hearn in Sheffield in October
Eddie Hearn in Sheffield in October (PA)

When asked what involvement he had in the main card, Hearn told iFL TV on Thursday: “Thankfully none at all, judging by the quality of it.

“I’ve got... definitely one, probably two fighters on the undercard prelims [but none on the main card]. I don’t want to upset people, but I feel like I have to be honest with you, because I’ve always been honest with you: I think it’s really disappointing.

“It’s no secret that, as [commentator] Max Kellerman said, Dana White is personally advising Turki Alalshikh, and they just don’t know boxing – they don’t know the market, they don’t know the audience.”

White, who is best known as the UFC’s president and CEO, this year launched the controversial Zuffa Boxing alongside Alalshikh – a Saudi official and boxing matchmaker. White has insisted he will be involved in Fury vs Joshua, but Hearn has repeatedly claimed that the American is contractually prohibited.

“Opetaia vs Wilder is a great fight, I think that’s a really intriguing fight if it happens,” Hearn said. “But the other two... on what planet would you ever put those two fights on the main card of Fury vs AJ?

Martin Bakole during his draw with Efe Ajagba in May
Martin Bakole during his draw with Efe Ajagba in May (Getty)

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“Vanhouter, what’s his name? Never heard of him. No disrespect, I’m sure he’s a good... but what on earth has he got to do [with Fury vs Joshua]? Build him on another f***ing undercard, not on the biggest fight in British boxing history.

“What about Joe Cordina? What about a two-time world champion from Wales? Absolutely mental. As it happens, I’m gonna land Cordina a big fight anyway, in January.

“But where’s the thinking behind it? I don’t want to throw him under a bus, but I know he won’t mind me saying it: I just got off the phone to [Fury’s manager] Spencer Brown, he’s speechless.

Dana White (right) with Turki Alalshikh
Dana White (right) with Turki Alalshikh (Getty)

“Martin Bakole against that other fella I've never heard of, and Vanhouter Burgen Jurgen, or whatever his name is, put them on the prelims. Do you know what I mean? So again, thankfully I’ve got nothing to do with it.

“We agreed terms for [Cordina] to fight Manny Pacquiao, and then we said, ‘Do Abdullah Mason against Joe Cordina,’ and then we agreed for him to fight Sam Noakes or Mark Chamberlain, and then we proposed Mauricio Lara.

“[It didn’t happen] because Turki listened to his PA, Dana White, and put on this other geezer [...] I know there’s this fascination with the American audience, but what are those fights doing for the American audience? Nothing. Those fights shouldn’t be on the main card.”

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