Tyson Fury has joined the team of Billy Joe Saunders’ supporters that are criticizing Eddie Hearn for what they perceive to be preferential treatment of Canelo Alvarez ahead of their super middleweight title unification fight.
Fury, Saunders’ close friend, took to Instagram on Monday and ridiculed Hearn for the way he and his company, Matchroom Boxing, have handled the Alvarez-Saunders promotion. Matchroom promotes Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) and co-promotes Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs).
They’ll fight for Alvarez’s WBA and WBC super middleweight titles and Saunders’ WBO championship May 8 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (DAZN).
Saunders’ father, Tom, and Saunders himself have previously complained about how Hearn has treated the unbeaten two-division champion during this promotion. Fury, the outspoken WBC heavyweight champion, piled on in his typical provocative fashion.
“Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn are absolute wankers,” Fury stated during a video posted to his Instagram account. “They’re up Canelo Alvarez’s rim piece a million miles. Look on the f—— webpage. All Canelo, Canelo. Do you promote Billy Joe or not, you little wanky pr!ck? Frank Warren is worth 10 of you, Eddie, you little sausage. He knows how to promote fighters. That’s why he’s a Hall-of-Fame promoter.”
Hearn has promoted Alvarez since late last year, for his fights against former WBA champion Callum Smith, Avni Yildirim, the WBC’s mandatory challenger, and Saunders. Matchroom also promotes Smith (27-1, 19 KOs), who was undefeated when he lost a unanimous decision to Alvarez in their 12-rounder December 19 at Alamodome in San Antonio.
Hearn’s contract with Alvarez expires after the Mexican icon’s fight versus Saunders, but the British promoter hopes to continue working with the biggest star in American boxing thereafter.
Warren, Hearn’s rival in the United Kingdom, promoted Saunders before the British southpaw signed with Matchroom in August 2019.
Hearn defended the job he has done for Saunders during an interview with IFL TV late last week. He pointed out that he has secured Saunders by far his biggest payday for this fight against Alvarez and that he has made sure Saunders has been treated fairly as it relates to securing a neutral panel of judges for their 12-round, 168-pound title fight.
Saunders doesn’t seem to believe his promoter. As Fury ripped Hearn on Instagram, Saunders stood behind him and said, “You lying bastard, Eddie!”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.