Home Boxing News Bob Arum: “Screw any mandatories!”

Bob Arum: “Screw any mandatories!”

Tyson Fury with co-promoter Bob Arum. Photo credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Tyson Fury’s co-promoter Bob Arum has responded to comments from Eddie Hearn that a fight with Anthony Joshua could happen in February next year.

WBC heavyweight champion Fury 30-0-1 (21) was expected to face WBA, WBO and IBF champion Joshua 24-1 (22) in Saudi Arabia on August 14 before an independent arbitrator ruled he owed Deontay Wilder 42-1-1 (41) a third fight.

Earlier this week Joshua’s promoter Hearn told the talkSPORT: “We wanted to do it in December. But I think with AJ fighting [Oleksandr Usyk] September 25, Fury now delayed until October, I think February is more realistic.

“They had a huge offer from Saudi Arabia to do the fight there.

“Ultimately in the fight game, which is extremely dangerous and these guys are putting themselves on the line, it is about generating as much money for the fight as possible.

“With fans back in the UK is that an option? Las Vegas? We’ll see.

“But first things first, let’s just beat Usyk, because if that doesn’t go to plan we can forget about it.”

Hearn added that there are no talks currently underway to make the fight as he doesn’t want to “waste [his] time”.

Arum bit back, telling Sky Sports: “The problem with Eddie? He cannot stop talking.

“When he says February? He is saying the fight will happen next year which is clearly correct.

“Joshua is fighting in September, we are fighting in October. Obviously [Joshua vs Fury] will take place next year.

“But February, March or April? That remains to be seen.

“My hope is that the fight goes to the UK. I don’t care what the money is.

“Both fighters owe the UK fans this tremendous event at Wembley or Cardiff, rather than taking it to a foreign country.”

The dream undisputed heavyweight title fight was dashed when a judge ruled that Fury must instead grant a third WBC title fight to Wilder, who he dismantled when they last met.

Arum remains confident that the fight will happen even if that means it takes place without all four major world titles on the line.

“My position is: if Fury and Joshua win, screw any mandatories!” Arum said. “Fury vs Joshua is the fight that people want to see. Period. End of story.

“That is an easy fight to make. It is not a hard fight to make. We had the fight rolling. The central elements had been taken care of. There were no problems, really, on the deal.

“Why did the deal stall and not get finalised? In my opinion, overreaching.

“We were all in line: ‘OK, do the fight in Saudi Arabia’.

“If we had struck a deal with the Saudis, the arbitrator would not have [ruled for Fury to fight Wilder instead].

“He would have allowed [Joshua vs Fury] to happen and he would have given damages to Wilder.

“But there was no deal with the Saudis.

“That’s what happened. It won’t happen again.

“Before we negotiate outside of the UK, we will have strict rules as to who is part of the negotiating team.”