The long-awaited match between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has been announced, but a dispute over who is promoting it rages on
The fight has been announced, but the wrangling is far from over. While boxing fans groaned with relief after the official announcement by Turki Al-Sheikh that this fight was happening, AJ's promoter, Eddie Hearn flew into a rage.
For months, he had been saying that the UFC Supremo, Dana White could not be involved in this fight. It looked like he'd finally got his way when it became known that the match would be staged in Cardiff.
With the fight safely on his side of the Atlantic, it looked like Eddie had averted the prospect of Dana controlling the event.
So imagine Eddie's horror when the announcement by Prince Turki mentioned White as the promoter. The only thing worse than Dana promoting the fight in the US is him promoting it right in Eddie's backyard!
Eddie still refuses to accept that Dana White is the promoter. He says that the American somehow managed to persuade Prince Turki to mention his name in the announcement, as some kind of sop to his wounded pride.
Tyson Fury has a different take on the matter. The Saudis famously negotiate separately and privately with each side. Neither knows what the other is getting. And the differences between the two contracts aren't always just about money.
Eddie Hearn said there was a clause in the contract that AJ signed that excludes Dana White from involvement in the promotion. Fury said the same clause existed in his contract, but that he took it out before signing. This seemingly opened the door to White coming in as promoter.
It's clearly a legal minefield. How can there be two contracts relating to the same event, that conflict on fundamental issues? Could Dana White come in solely as Fury's promoter?
Perhaps that's the answer. Eddie arrives in Cardiff as AJ's promoter, Dana as Fury's promoter and the Ring Magazine says it's promoting the whole event. But where does that leave Frank Warren, who, last time I heard, was Tyson Fury's promoter?
It has to be said that, unlike Hearn, Warren has never seemed remotely bothered about who promotes this fight. But Dana White hasn't shown much interest in attacking Warren, whereas he's been attempting to weaken Hearn at every turn.
Eddie has really got under the skin of the American promoters. While Warren goes into partnership with them when he wants to put on a fight in the US, Hearn has the audacity to put on his own shows there. Showcasing American boxers in the US without the involvement of American promoters has made him enemies.
And when an enemy like Dana White receives the backing of the unfathomably wealthy Saudis, Eddie has a problem.
But it's a problem, I suspect, that won't prevent this superfight from happening.
