Eddie Hearn has dismissed the idea that there is anything ‘fishy’ about the cut that has caused Tyson Fury to pull out of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk this month.
Fury and Usyk were due to meet in a huge contest for the undisputed heavyweight championship in Saudi Arabia on 17 February but those plans have been scuppered.
The Gypsy King has suffered a bad cut in sparring just two weeks before the fight, which has now been postponed, with hopes that it will be rescheduled in the spring or early summer.
Hearn, who was not promoting the show but did have two of his fighters on the card, says he has already heard talk that there was something underhand about the situation, but he has rubbished those suggestions.
Speaking to iFL TV, Hearn said: ‘I’ve had in my group chats with my mates, “Oh, this sounds fishy to me!” I’m like, “Guys, you think he’s going to carve himself open with a knife?”
‘He’s trained a whole camp, he’s two weeks away from a monster pay day and a fight against the undisputed champion.
‘It’s not hooky, it’s just boxing, it happens. But it’s devastating when it’s a fight of that magnitude.’
Hearn had sympathy for those involved in the card, especially his own two fighters – Joe Cordina who was due to fight Anthony Cacace and Jai Opetaia who was preparing to face Mairis Briedis – but are now unlikely to be boxing on 17 February.
‘We had Joe Cordina and Jay Opetaia on the card, so we found out a little bit before it was made public,’ he explained. ‘Just can’t believe it really. It’s not our show but we have some fighters on the show and I’ve been there before when this kind of thing happens 10 days or two weeks out.
‘It’s just devastating for all the work that’s gone in, the promos, the press conferences, but it’s also boxing. It’s just an unfortunate set of events that’s going to put a great fight back by, we don’t know how long.’
On what might be next, Hearn suggested: ‘Anything’s possible. Speaking just with my view I expect it to just be rescheduled, whether it April or May, something like that.’
A statement from Fury read: ‘‘I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition. I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
‘I can only apologise to everyone affected including my own team. Team usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.’
He added in an Instagram post: ‘Cant [sic] help getting injored [sic] in sparring but what I can say was Usyk was in trouble I am in fantastic shape.
‘I will resheduel [sic] soon as I can. 2024 a massive year for team GK #undisputed #wbcking.’
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