TYSON FURY has been warned a 2021 warm-up fight will KO his chances of a sensational Anthony Joshua double after his December 5 bout was ‘embarrassingly’ axed.
The Gypsy King was supposed to dance with little-known Agit Kabayel one week before AJ handles a mandatory defence against veteran Kubrat Pulev on December 12.
Fury has been warned a 2021 warm-up fight could KO his chances of taking on JoshuaCredit: Richard Pelham
Hearn has claimed a fight in early 2021 for Fury could see his chance of fighting AJ scrappedCredit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd
The Brit pair have agreed the financial terms on a two-leg undisputed decider.
But Fury’s Christmas homecoming getting canned has left AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn concerned.
The Matchroom boss has WBO mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk waiting in wings and he reckons Fury’s flop has shown the world he is not the star attraction he claims to be.
Hearn told SunSport: “I think they have been quite honest in admitting that they couldn’t afford to do the fight.
“That is embarrassing but we are in unprecedented times, so it was very honest.
“It does show that he is not the huge draw that some people think he is.
“Tyson cannot do massive pay-per-view numbers on BT, he cannot generate the sort of revenue and global TV deals that Anthony Joshua can.
“And that is why AJ is fighting and he isn’t – and Kubrat Pulev is a lot more expensive than Agit Kabayel.
Joshua will take on Pulev next month ahead of his potential Fury showdownCredit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd
“I hope he doesn’t fight anyone else because as soon as AJ demolishes Pulev on December 12, we want to make the Fury fight immediately.
“If he does that then we will go to Usyk and you might not get the fight at all in 2021.
“Fury needs to wait, watch the Pulev fight and then we can make the fight.
“AJ’s only focus, after Pulev, is Tyson Fury and if we can’t do that then Usyk will be next.”
Fury has lost a fortune on his latest training camp, flying over American trainer SugarHill Steward and nutritionist George Lockhart and destroying a ceiling by punching a heavy bag off the fittings.
The 6ft 9in WBC champ has kept constantly fit since his magnificent February rematch win over Deontay Wilder and claimed he needed a keep-busy fight to maintain his mental health.
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So news of the cancellation – and a worrying court case with Wilder over their supposed trilogy fight – could not have come at a worse time.
Hearn said: “I think it is very frustrating for Tyson because I have seen the work he has put in. He has spent a lot of money and there is nothing coming in.
“It is never a good look to have to admit that you can’t get the money together to do a fight.
“They also still have the Deontay Wilder mess to sort out.
“If you believe his promoters then they have no issues to worry about but – when something is going through arbitration, where a judge will decide – it makes me think they shouldn’t be so confident.
“I kept saying that if Deontay and his manager Shelly Finkel have really let that rematch clause expire, then they are clowns. And I don’t believe they are clowns.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
