Promoter of Eddie Hearn of Matchroom has explained that he’s not disappointed in losing the recent purse bid for the upcoming mandatory fight between WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and challenger Dillian Whyte.
Hearn, who represents Whyte, bid a tremendous $32.2 million. He was easily outbid by Fury’s co-promoter, Frank Warren, who stamped down a record-breaking $41 million to secure the promotional rights.
The fight is being targeted to take place on April 23, potentially at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. And the contest will be showcased on pay-per-view in the United States and UK, through ESPN and BT Sport.
“We would have lost a lot of money and [Fury] probably wouldn’t have taken the fight [at the price we were willing to pay],” Hearn told The MMA Hour. “We don’t get on all the time; I do have a lot of respect for him, but you never know what you’re going to get.
“Of course, I’d like to have promoted the fight, but you have to put a number which you’re prepared to lose. The minute you start acting on ego is the minute you make a catastrophic error, which could cost you millions of dollars. I don’t play that game.
“I back our guys but to a point where we understand the business. If you start going in with your d!ck and you’re bidding $10 million over the number, and you finish the show and look at the bottom line and you’ve done $5-$10 million, well done… that’s great business! If we didn’t turn up, they would have saved millions of dollars as the only bidder.”
The WBC has advised both boxers to submit fully executed contracts by February 21.
“As of this morning, we haven’t received a contract. That’s not unusual ,but we don’t have it. It’s a process you go through. Someone said to me I’ve gone quiet but I lost the purse bid, it’s not my fight [to promote]. I’m not out here to hype the fight up, I’m here to support Dillian,” Hearn said.
“[Dillian] is just chilled and training. There’s a way to deal with Fury and sometimes going on the quiet side [works]. Do you really want to get in a slanging match with Fury and use all that energy? Do your work, do your training and go and try and knock him out. There are no conversations about another direction. This is the only direction. This is the fight.”