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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Harry Davies

Eddie Hearn "baffled" by Tyson Fury's antics amid Oleksandr Usyk row

Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn has been left "baffled" by Tyson Fury 's recent videos mocking him on social media.

Heavyweight champion Fury announced he would be fighting domestic rival Dillian Whyte next, indicating Anthony Joshua rejected stepping aside from his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua was offered £15million to step aside and allow Fury to fight unified champion Usyk in the first undisputed heavyweight title fight since 1999.

But 'AJ' refused to take up the multi-million offer and will now look to become a three-time heavyweight champion by avenging his loss to Usyk.

Fury has posted several videos on social media mocking Hearn and laughing at Joshua's team, something that has baffled the promoter.

"Fury's made it clear... I see all his instagram stuff laughy laughy, but he's actually the one who didn't want to fight Usyk," he told Boxing Social.

"He's the one who has lost all that money, I'm baffled. But anyway, that's what is happening and if he wants to fight Dillian Whyte, brilliant, we will proceed with that."

"Win or lose the purse bid that fight will happen. I believe Dillian Whyte can win that fight, especially with everything that's gone on, it clouds the brain, it really does.

"I'd love to promote that fight, I mean it's worth paying the money to get to promote it, to be the lead promoter. We'll see what happens."

Purse bids for Fury's fight with Whyte have been postponed four times but will now take place this evening at 6pm.

Hearn admits they will have a hard time winning the bid for Fury vs Whyte as Matchroom are currently on a 20 per cent split for the bout.

Usyk's manager Egis Klimas has criticised Fury for mocking his fighter and blamed the Brit for the collapse of the undisputed clash.

Can Anthony Joshua win back his heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk? Let us know in the comments section below

And Hearn thinks Fury has contradicted himself by criticising Joshua for pondering stepping aside but then refusing to do so.

"I'm baffled. He was out celebrating. He could have fought Usyk then Joshua for so much money, but he wanted an interim fight," he continued.

"Tyson's brilliant at the bluster. One minute he's saying Joshua is a coward for stepping aside, then he's an idiot for not stepping aside, the worst businessman of all time.

"As I always said, to get that deal done four people had to be on board because one, we didn't get to long-form agreements but two Fury decided he didn't want to fight Usyk next.

"I spoke to Alex Krassyuk [Usyk's promoter] last night and he's frustrated because he doesn't understand why Fury wouldn't go straight into an Usyk fight."

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