EDDIE HEARN claimed Tyson Fury has pulled out of fighting Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title.
Usyk is currently contracted to a rematch with AJ, having beaten the British superstar in September for the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
But Middle Eastern backers were leading talks for the Ukrainian to instead face WBC champion Fury in a historic four-belt unification.
For that to happen, Joshua, 32, and WBC mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte, 33, would need to receive a fee sit out, believed to be £15million and £5m.
And Hearn admitted they were ready to listen to offers for AJ, but would also need a guarantee of fighting the winner between Fury, 33, and Usyk, 35.
But the promoter has now claimed the Gypsy King ‘never wanted’ to fight Usyk next and will instead face No1 contender Whyte.
Hearn told iFL TV: “The reality of the situation is; we would be willing to see a long-form agreement with a plan for AJ.
“But we’re not even at that stage. Tyson Fury had the opportunity to discuss – Fury doesn’t want to fight Usyk, in my opinion.
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“Because he had the opportunity to do it through these discussions and really, when it came down to it, he really don’t want to.
“What Fury wants to do is have a little easy one in March, that’s what he really wants to do.
“Now, he’s going to have to fight Dillian Whyte, and by the way, after all of this kerfuffle, he’ll get beat by Dillian Whyte, he’ll get knocked out by Dillian Whyte.
“But the reality is, when it really came down to it, he never wanted to fight Oleksandr Usyk.
“Because he could’ve gone straight into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, but he didn’t want to go straight into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
“But you won’t ever hear that and the public won’t ever hear that. You’ll just hear Fury on Instagram, screaming and shouting with smoking mirrors.”
The reality is that Tyson Fury’s the one that’s decided, really, that he doesn’t want to fight Usyk next.
Eddie Hearn
Despite talks progressing between Fury and Usyk, at the same time the WBC have set a Friday deadline for a fight with Whyte to be agreed.
If no deal for Fury to face either Usyk or Whyte is struck, the WBC will go to purse bids for the mandatory title defence.
Hearn said: “I’m very confident there will be a bid tomorrow, for Fury against Whyte. And I believe that’s the fight that will happen next.”
The promoter revealed talks are still ongoing between Fury and Usyk, and is open to a deal that would allow AJ to step aside, and fight the winner.
But again he accused Fury of opting out of the challenging Usyk for all the belts.
He said: “I don’t believe it’s off the table because people are still discussing it. Thats not a deal that I’ve necessarily put together.
‘CHANGES HIS MIND EVERYDAY’
“We’ve been approached with a plan and from my point of view Im saying I wold be willing to see a long-form agreement to look at some kind of plan that would give AJ the opportunity to fight the winner between Fury and Usyk for the ‘best heavyweight in the world tag.
“But the reality is that Tyson Fury’s the one that’s decided, really, that he doesn’t want to fight Usyk next.
“Whether he tells you that or not, that’s the truth. He was not willing to fight Oleksandr Usyk for undisputed.
“Because he wanted a fight first in March against someone else, now he wants to fight Dillian Whyte. He changes his mind everyday.”
Hearn is now expected to bid against Fury’s promotional team of Bob Arum and Frank Warren to stage the fight with Whyte.
Meanwhile AJ is now set to rematch Usyk, with the chance to win back the belts he lost in London.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
