Promoter of the former IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn once negotiated with the WBC champion Tyson Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs). However, Hearn admits that in 2017 he did not believe in Fury's return to big boxing and didn't sign a contract with him.
“Do I regret not signing a contract with Tyson Fury? I do not regret anything. I have always believed that Anthony Joshua will defeat the King of the Gypsies. I invested more than money in Joshua,” Hearn said.
After defeating Wladimir Klitschko in 2015 and conquering the throne of the Royal Division, Fury fell into depression, became addicted to drugs and lost his championship belts. It seemed that he would never enter the ring again. Hearn recalls the moment when he lost faith in the King of the Gypsies.
“When I met Fury in Monaco before returning to training, he weighed over 160 kilograms. He was sweating all the time and I thought to myself that he would never return to boxing. The plan could have been to have two light fights to warm up and then fight someone like Manuel Charr. But I didn't believe in Tyson. If I knew then that Fury would defeat Deontay Wilder... I really respect Fury for getting up after the fall and returning to the top. Tyson is the number one heavyweight today,” added the head of Matchroom.
