• ‘Gypsy King may fight Wilder instead’
Anthony Joshua’s undisputed showdown with Tyson Fury is in serious jeopardy due to a lack of communication, according to The Gypsy King’s promoter Bob Arum, reports givemesport.com.
The Top Rank boss says making the fight – which is already being billed as the biggest in the history of British boxing – has become complicated now because negotiations have reportedly stalled.
Reports over the past couple of months have surfaced about Fury potentially fighting WBA, WBO and IBF champion Joshua in Saudi Arabia this summer.
However, Arum is adamant Fury could fight former WBC champion Deontay Wilder next instead of Joshua.
When asked if Fury will face Joshua next, Arum said to BoxingScene: “Maybe we’ll breathe some life into Wilder, and Fury will fight Wilder and Joshua will fight [Oleksandr] Usyk.
“Eddie Hearn is busy trying to sell the London Bridge,” he added. “Let me tell you – last time I talked to Eddie was early last week and he said he was going to have a signed agreement from the Saudis in 24 hours. Well, he’s a little late.
“Wouldn’t you be pessimistic if you haven’t heard from him or anybody for a week? We’re the promoter with Frank [Warren] of Fury and we haven’t heard from Eddie in a week.”
Eddie Hearn claimed last week that both sides have reached an agreement on a site deal, insisting a contract will be issued shortly, but Arum isn’t so easily convinced.
“We got a document and they said it wasn’t binding. We said it has to be binding and we haven’t heard back from them. It says in it this is not a binding agreement,” he concluded.
“Eddie sent me the draft but it was not a binding agreement and it was supposed to be turned into a binding agreement in 24 hours and Frank and I haven’t spoken to Eddie since. He’s gone radio silent.”
Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren has recently suggested that all is not well behind the scenes by mentioning the fact that no binding agreement has been offered.
“Look, every day I’m being told – it’s like, ‘It’s in the post’,” Warren said to talkSPORT. “It’s not arrived and that’s where we are. I’ll believe it when I see it. We’re being told it’ll be here.
“I know Tyson’s had enough of hanging around. He wants to fight in June or July and that’s what will happen if this thing doesn’t get resolved very quickly.
“We all want the fight. We’re all working, moving heaven and Earth to get it over the line, but at the moment the offer hasn’t come through.
“Maybe the two guys have gotta look – if the offer doesn’t come through – to look at how we make this fight viable.
“Everyone’s expectation levels maybe have to reassess.”
