“If those are the rumors, then they must be true,” remarked White at the Dana White’s Contender Series media event.
His behavior hinted at a well-informed individual staying silent about an update meant to be revealed by Netflix, TKO, or the athletes themselves.
A journalist subsequently labeled White as a promoter for the matchup. That characterization prompted a mocking reaction without any clarification regarding his actual involvement.
“You should probably question the actual promoters of the bout. Wait, I thought you were the one promoting? Oh, so I’m promoting it now? Fine, I won’t engage in these games with these [expletive] individuals. You get what I’m saying? Let’s just observe how things unfold.”
The moment Hearn’s name entered the conversation, the vagueness vanished. The head of Matchroom maintains that Joshua’s contract specifies a bout in the United Kingdom, and he has mentioned potential litigation if Madison Square Garden was targeted without consent.
No clarification was offered regarding the contract. Rather, Hearn became the target of a direct insult.
“I tuned out Eddie Hearn around three months back. Can you find anyone who talks more [expletive] than he does? Seriously. He is totally full of [expletive].”
This verbal jab fails to resolve the contractual disagreement. While TKO might prefer Madison Square Garden, Joshua’s consent remains essential if his deal mandates a venue in Britain.
Hosting the card on a Friday night in New York works perfectly for Netflix, positioning the Fury vs. Joshua clash in US prime time while avoiding clashes with Saturday college football or Sunday NFL action. Conversely, UK boxing enthusiasts would have to watch the main event in the early hours of the morning rather than attending the massive stadium spectacle they had anticipated for years.
Collectively, White’s remarks point to New York as the top choice for TKO. It is now up to Hearn to prove that Joshua’s contract provides Matchroom with the legal leverage needed to retain the event in the UK.
