Eddie Hearn has labelled Tyson Fury a “bluff merchant” for claiming that he will retire after his victory over Dillian Whyte.
Fury, 33, said before and after his knockout of Whyte on Saturday that he would be retiring from professional boxing, but Whyte’s promoter Hearn is sceptical.
Fury’s sixth-round win over Whyte at Wembley Stadium, where 94,000 fans were present, saw the “Gypsy King” remain unbeaten and retain the WBC heavyweight title – but Hearn has said Fury’s “biggest fights” are still ahead of him.
“Tyson Fury is a great bluff merchant, he ain’t retiring,” Hearn said on The DAZN Boxing Show. The biggest fights for Tyson Fury haven't happened yet.
“He's the best heavyweight on the planet right now, I'll give him that, but when we talk about generational greatness? Yes, for this exact generation, but please... with victories over [Deontay] Wilder, [Wladimir] Klitschko and Whyte, don’t talk about him in the same breath as [Muhammad] Ali, [Joe] Frazier and Lennox Lewis.”
Hearn’s marquee fighter Anthony Joshua is set to face Oleksandr Usyk in July, in a rematch for the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles that the undefeated Ukrainian won from him in September.
The winner of that contest could then seek a unification bout with Fury.
“If he beat AJ and Usyk, I’d give him all the respect and be up there, but the jury is out on Deontay Wilder,” Hearn continued. “His best win was Luis Ortiz; we don’t know the reality or the truth [of the debate].
“There is no argument Fury is No 1... well actually there could be an argument between Fury and Usyk, but with that resume, don’t call him a generational great. He may be the greatest of all time, I don’t think so, but he has got to prove it in your resume – not beating one guy [Wilder] three times.
“I give Fury the credit and respect of knocking people out. I said he wasn’t a one-punch knockout artist, I still don’t think he is compared to some of the other bigger-hitting guys. He’s proving me wrong.
“I didn’t rate him before Klitschko, I thought he had no chance; he won nearly every round. I didn’t think he had a chance in Wilder 1, he won that fight, and I didn’t think he’d knock Whyte out, and he did. So, respect to the man.”
Eddie Hearn was speaking on The DAZN Boxing Show. Those wishing to become a subscriber can sign up at DAZN.com.
