Eddie Hearn Claims Tyson Fury Pulled Out Of A Fight With Oleksandr Usyk Despite Anthony Joshua Considering Step-Aside Offer

Eddie Hearn has accused Tyson Fury of pulling out of a fight with Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title.

Usyk is due to face Anthony Joshua in a rematch later this year, having beaten the British fighter in September to claim the WBA, WBO and IBF world titles.

Fury, meanwhile, has been mandated to defend his WBC title against Dillian Whyte. 

Talks have been ongoing over a potential unification fight between Fury and Usyk, which would have required Joshua and Whyte to accept step-aside money to allow it to happen.

Fury took to social media on Thursday to label Joshua and his promoter Hearn as “the worst businessmen in history”, claiming they had turned down a lucrative offer worth $90m (£67m).

Hearn insists he was willing to consider a proposal if it included a clause which guaranteed Joshua a fight against the winner of Fury-Usyk.

However, he says concrete offer has not materialised and believes the 'Gypsy King' is avoiding a fight with Usyk.

Hearn told iFL TV: "The reality of the situation is; we would be willing to see a long-form agreement with a plan for AJ.

"But we're not even at that stage. Tyson Fury had the opportunity to discuss - Fury doesn't want to fight Usyk, in my opinion.

"Because he had the opportunity to do it through these discussions and really, when it came down to it, he really don't want to.”

Joshua is now set to face Usyk in their rematch later this year, with either Wembley or the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium expected to host the fight.

Meanwhile, Fury has vowed to 'annihilate' Whyte in his next fight, but Hearn is expecting a major upset.

"What Fury wants to do is have a little easy one in March, that's what he really wants to do,” he added.

"Now, he's going to have to fight Dillian Whyte, and by the way, after all of this kerfuffle, he'll get beat by Dillian Whyte, he'll get knocked out by Dillian Whyte.

"But the reality is, when it really came down to it, he never wanted to fight Oleksandr Usyk.

"Because he could've gone straight into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, but he didn't want to go straight into a fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

"But you won't ever hear that and the public won't ever hear that. You'll just hear Fury on Instagram, screaming and shouting with smoke and mirrors."