Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: Hearn bars Zuffa from promotion

Anthony Joshua's contract for the Tyson Fury superfight contains language that bars Dana White and Zuffa Boxing from promotional involvement, according to Eddie Hearn, who dismissed White's recent suggestion that Zuffa would promote the bout.

BoxingScene first reported that Fury's signed contract does not mandate a U.K. venue, though Hearn told reporters Friday that Joshua's deal explicitly requires the fight to take place in Britain. That contractual split leaves the bout's location open to renegotiation, but Hearn made clear that any shift away from the U.K. would need Joshua's camp to sign off.

Hearn says Alalshikh cannot unilaterally add Zuffa to promotion

The contracts between Turki Alalshikh and the two fighters name Hearn and Frank Warren as promoters of record, Hearn said at Friday's weigh-in for Jesse Rodriguez's bantamweight title defense in Glendale. Hearn added that the language expressly prevents Zuffa — the new boxing arm backed by Alalshikh's 60 percent ownership stake — from designating itself as promoter without clearing it with Joshua's side.

"Turki doesn't have to take over the fight. Turki is the fight," Hearn said, per BoxingScene. "But specifically in the contract it says Dana White, Zuffa cannot have any promotional involvement in the show. Dana doesn't know about the contract for the show that we signed and negotiated."

White told reporters last week that Zuffa would promote Joshua-Fury and hinted the bout might leave the U.K., with boxing officials naming SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as potential alternatives. Hearn said any venue change would require a fresh round of talks. "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.

Joshua is set to face Kristian Prenga on July 25 ahead of the Fury clash. Fury meets his next tune-up opponent August 1 in Dublin.

Source: boxingscene.com