Hearn Asserts Anthony Joshua’s Contract Has Been Violated

“What they want to do is they want to pay Anthony Joshua less money because that’s how it will work out with the difference in location. They want him to do a load of additional stuff. I’m not going to blow things up, which I could do so easily, but there has been breaches in AJ’s contract already which we’ve let slide because these guys are our partners and our friends, or were,” said Hearn.

The correction from “are” to “were” underscores the deterioration of the relationship. Hearn argues that Joshua signed for a UK-based event and should not be blamed for declining reduced fees or added responsibilities simply due to a change in location.

Much of Hearn’s frustration stems from a leaked Matchroom email listing unresolved issues. He alleges the email was intentionally shared with journalists and misrepresented as Joshua’s conditions for fighting in the United States.

According to Hearn, none of those points were part of the addendum submitted for the proposed U.S. move. He believes the leak was designed to bolster Fury’s claim that Joshua and Matchroom were being greedy and stalling the bout.

The controversy also involves Dana White. Hearn contends that the contract bars TKO and Zuffa from promoting the event, even though White publicly presents himself as the promoter. Nick Khan reached out to Hearn to explore TKO’s involvement, but White’s public stance has hindered those discussions.

Time is running out. The upcoming week is viewed as the deadline for securing the proposed November date. Netflix requires additional time to promote the event, while Madison Square Garden may forgo the date and schedule another fixture. Joshua remains determined to face Fury, but resolution of the location, financial, and promotional control disputes must occur within days.

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