Eddie Hearn is one of the most well known boxing promoters in the modern era of the sport, thanks to fighters such as Anthony Joshua.
Matchroom Boxing also accommodates fighters such as Katie Taylor and Conor Benn, as some of the top stars are signed to the promotion.
One fighter that could have once been a member of the Matchroom Boxing roster is Tyson Fury. However, ‘The Gypsy King’ has largely fought under promoter Frank Warren.
Fury fighting for Matchroom Boxing was seemingly not too far of a reality at one stage, however. Recent comments from Hearn add clarity as to why he never signed the former heavyweight champion.
Anthony Joshua part of the reason Eddie Hearn did not sign Tyson Fury
In a recent interview with IFL TV, Hearn shed some light on past possibilities between him and Fury.
Hearn said that he did once have the opportunity to sign Fury, but made a conscious decision not to do so.
“When I had the chance to sign Tyson Fury, there were two things [that stopped me from signing him].”
Hearn’s first reason for not signing one of the greatest heavyweights of all time was the condition of the fighter at the time. “He was physically in a place that I didn’t think he’d be able to get back to the top, and what he did was incredible.”
Following his win over Wladimir Klitschko, ‘The Gypsy King’ developed dietary and lifestyle habits that would hinder his condition. Fury at one stage weighed around 400 lbs prior to facing Deontay Wilder.
This is potentially the period of Fury’s career in which Hearn is referring to.
Hearn then said that Joshua was also an influential factor in terms of not signing Fury. “This [signing Fury] really isn’t going to go down very well.”
The promoter was asked ‘with who?’ in relation to the question, to which he replied, “AJ would never say to me, ‘don’t sign him’, but I just feel like, that’s my guy, right?”
Hearn added, “I would feel very uncomfortable if I signed Tyson Fury and then we made that fight [with Joshua]… I hate representing both people in a fight.”
Eddie Hearn says he would sign Chris Eubank Jr. under particular circumstances
Joshua and Fury are not the only fighters with a rivalry which is preventing Hearn from making signings to his promotion.
In his conversations with IFL TV, Hearn said that if Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn were not fighting for a second time, he would consider signing the son of Chris Eubank Sr.
“If the Conor Benn fight was off and he [Eubank Jr.] was fighting up at super middleweight, I would still say, ‘Let’s talk, honestly.'”
However, Hearn feels this is an unlikely scenario given the pair’s relationship.
The promoter alluded to an apology also being necessary for a deal to be done, “If he came to me and said, ‘Listen, sorry for absolutely mugging you off, calling you a scumbag, not letting you speak, basically trying to belittle you at every opportunity,’ [I would consider it].”