Eddie Hearn: Dana White, Zuffa Boxing barred from Joshua-Fury

Anthony Joshua's contract for his fight against Tyson Fury mandates the bout take place in the U.K., but Fury's deal leaves the location open, BoxingScene has learned.

Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn told reporters Friday in Arizona that his fighter's agreement with Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh explicitly stipulates a U.K. venue, while he is uncertain what Fury's contract says on that point. "I just know what ours says: That, exclusively, the fight must take place in the U.K.," Hearn said at the Rodriguez-Vargas weigh-in.

White and Zuffa Boxing shut out of Joshua-Fury promotion

Hearn emphasized that both fighters signed contracts naming him and England's Frank Warren as the promoters, while explicitly excluding Dana White and Zuffa Boxing from any promotional role. White told media last week that he would promote the heavyweight clash and suggested it might leave the U.K., prompting Hearn to clarify the contractual limits. "Specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show," Hearn said. "Dana doesn't know about the contract for the show that we signed and negotiated."

The mismatch in venue clauses leaves room for renegotiation, with boxing officials telling BoxingScene that Alalshikh has floated Los Angeles's SoFi Stadium as a possible location. Hearn said any venue change would require a fresh negotiation with Joshua, since the fighter agreed to the bout on the expectation it would happen in Britain. "If Turki Alalshikh wants to hold the fight in another country, that's not necessarily a problem, but contractually he cannot do that," Hearn said.

Alalshikh owns 60 percent of Zuffa Boxing, the new promotional outfit headed by White and WWE President Nick Khan. Both Joshua and Fury are contractually committed to tune-up bouts before their clash, with Joshua facing Kristian Prenga on July 25 and Fury scheduled for August 1 in Dublin.

Source: boxingscene.com